Will Another Bridge Cross into Canada from Detroit?

Michigan politics is rarely subtle. But the current dustup over a proposed new bridge to Canada has been particularly nasty. Billionaire trucking company owner Manuel “Matty” Moroun, who beat out Warren Buffett in bidding for the 81-year-old Ambassador Bridge more than three decades ago, is now doing his best to undercut Republican Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s efforts to build a publicly owned competitor to what is the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing.

Back in 1979, Moroun paid around $30 million for a controlling stake in the 7,490-foot span connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ont.—once the world’s longest suspension bridge. With that investment under threat, the 84-year-old Moroun and his son, Matthew, are trying to persuade state lawmakers to oppose the proposed New International Trade Crossing, as it’s known. Moroun has spent more than $1 million on television ads calling the ITC a boondoggle, saying taxpayers would end up footing part of the bill. To ease congestion on the Ambassador, Moroun is proposing building an adjoining six-lane span, at his own expense.