Some bad news for Matty, good news for us
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...394/1408/local
Coast Guard tells bridge company to halt work on second Detroit River span
Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News
Detroit -- The United States Coast Guard today ordered the Detroit International Bridge Co. to halt work on building a second span of the Ambassador Bridge across the Detroit River.
In its ruling, the Coast Guard suspended the bridge company's bridge permit application process for the second span because of a
"doubt of the right of the builder to construct and utilize a bridge."
According to the Coast Guard, the "(bridge company) has yet to provide the Coast Guard with evidence that they have acquired the necessary property rights for Riverside Park from the city of Detroit to build the (bridge) as described in their bridge permit application."
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The Michigan Department of Transportation also has advised the Coast Guard that the bridge company is not carrying out its part in the massive Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project, which is currently under construction.
The Coast Guard said that the bridge company's evaluation process must be halted until the issues are resolved to the satisfaction of the Coast Guard.
Grosse Pointe billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun, owner of the bridge company, has been in a protracted battle with the Canadian and U.S. governments over their plans to build a public owned bridge that would be built a few miles down stream from the Ambassador Bridge.
The bridge company recently filed a lawsuit against the proposed span, saying it would take up to 75 percent of the commercial traffic currently utilizing the Ambassador Bridge. The lawsuit also said the joint Canadian/U.S. venture would require the removal of hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses in southwestern Detroit.