Local Conservatives pass resolution reaffirming Howe bridge as priority

Local federal Conservative leaders in the riding that will host the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge have approved a policy endorsing its construction “without further delay ” which they will urge to be included within the national party’s platform.

“The policy we approved reaffirms the Gordie Howe bridge as a high economic and infrastructure priority,” said Al Teshuba, vicepresident of the party’s WindsorWest riding association.

“We need to reinforce the idea that our (Conservative) party’s commitment remains steadfast to getting this built.”

A global consortium is expected to be selected within the next few weeks by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority to proceed with the long-awaited bridge construction project that includes a new crossing over the Detroit River, plazas and a three-kilometre feeder road in southwest Detroit to link with the I-75 freeway.

Both legal and political resistance to the international bridge project continues by the Moroun family, which controls the existing 89-year-old Ambassador Bridge, over its fears the new crossing will cut into its lucrative revenues. A television ad this week paid for by the Morouns calls on U.S. President Donald Trump to do what he can to stop the Howe bridge. That ad is yet another reason why — along with ongoing delays to get construction started — the federal Conservative party needs to reaffirm its support for the Howe bridge through policy, Teshuba said. “You can see what can happen when the focus is not on the ball,” he said.

“You get delays and the Ambassador Bridge (company) trying to get the permits revoked.”

The Gordie Howe bridge project was Canada’s No. 1 infrastructure priority under former prime minister Stephen Harper, Teshuba said. The local riding association in the coming weeks plans to secure support for its Howe bridge policy from a dozen other nearby Conservative riding associations so that it can then be included in the party ’s federal policy during the upcoming national convention in Halifax starting on Aug. 23.

“We need to advocate for this,” Teshuba said. “The Conservatives took the lead on the Gordie Howe bridge under prime minister Harper and we need to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten by anybody or sidetracked by videos from the bridge company.”

The WDBA has indicated construction on the Howe bridge will start this fall ,with projections that it could be completed in 2022.