Five members were appointed today to the International Authority, which will oversee the proposed construction of the Detroit River International Crossing, also known as the New International Trade Crossing, between Windsor and Detroit.
This milestone is the latest achievement in an exciting project that will create short- and long-term jobs, energize the economy, and enhance security for Michigan and Canada,” says Gov. Rick Snyder.
Comprised of six members with equal representation from Canada and Michigan, the International Authority will oversee and approve key steps in the public-private partnership procurement process for the new Windsor-Detroit bridge crossing. It will also monitor the compliance of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which will manage the procurement process for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the new bridge.
Michigan has appointed Michael D. Hayes, Birgit M. Klohs, and Matt Rizik to the authority, and Canada has appointed Kristine Burr and Geneviève Gagnon, with Burr also serving as the committee’s chairperson. A third Canadian member will be selected in the near future.
These appointments to the International Authority and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority are a significant step forward towards building a new publicly-owned bridge between Canada and the United States,” says the Hon. Lisa Raitt, Canada’s minister of transport. “These individuals bring strong leadership skills, engineering, legal and financial expertise, and wide-ranging business experience to the International Authority and the (Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority) board.”
Raitt also announced today appointments to the WDBA’s board. Michele “Michael” Cautillo will serve as its president and CEO; Mark McQueen as chairperson; and William Graham and Caroline Mulroney Lapham as directors.
The bridge project has yet to receive several federal approvals, including funding for infrastructure on the Detroit side of the crossing. With several other bridge projects in the pipeline to receive approvals, it’s unclear when the Detroit Windsor crossing will move forward.
