OTTAWA—The federal government says it has reached a funding arrangement for a major new bridge between Canada and the U.S. after years of sometimes-acrimonious delay.
Canada had already been planning to pay for 95 percent of a new bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, and now there’s an agreement that would cover the remaining portion for a customs plaza on the U.S. side.
The project won’t cost Canadian taxpayers because the funds will be recouped through tolls and a public-private partnership, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt insisted Wednesday as she made the announcement in the House of Commons.
“I think it is important to note as well that the entire amount will be compensated,” Raitt said.
The funding model would work one of two ways: the construction costs will either be covered by a private company, or the Canadian government will help finance the project with the expectation that it would be repaid in toll profits.
The U.S. announced Wednesday that it’s committed to the project. The Department of Homeland Security said it expects to spend $50 million a year to staff the plaza with customs agents.
