Michigan court dismisses suit by Moroun over Howe bridge

Michigan’s Court of Claims has thrown out a lawsuit filed by Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun in a bid to halt construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Judge Cynthia Stephens dismissed the lawsuit saying it failed to comply with the statute of limitations that requires filing a claim or a notice of intent to file a claim within one year after the date the crossing agreement was signed, according to Gongwer News Service based in Lansing.

The crossing agreement between Michigan and Canada was signed in June 2012.

The lawsuit filed in December claimed Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and the state’s transportation department “usurped” and “hijacked” legal approvals for the bridge project that should have been given by the state legislature.

Several companies owned by the Michigan billionaire filed the sweeping lawsuit on Dec. 29, claiming the bridge project should be stopped and that Snyder and the Michigan Department of Transportation had no legal authority to push it through.

The 42-page lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims in Lansing also sought an injunction that would prevent the state government from taking legal control of two dozen properties in southwest Detroit that belong to several companies owned by Moroun.

The properties are needed for the Howe bridge, plaza and feeder road on the U.S. side in the industrial community of Delray.

Three shortlisted finalists have begun preparing their final bids for the Howe bridge project. Those bids were to be submitted this summer, but the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority indicated recently bids will not be accepted until next year.

That means it a successful bidder likely won’t be selected until close to the end of 2018. Construction is expected to start about six months later. The original completion date was 2020. The new date is expected to be closer to 2023.