The owners of the Ambassador Bridge have lost another legal challenge in their fight against a competing bridge crossing.
The Michigan Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal filed by the Moroun family, which essentially allows the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority to proceed with construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
WDBA spokesman Mark Butler confirmed the ruling to BlackburnNewsWindsor.com Friday afternoon, though the Detroit Free Press reports that the ruling by Michigan's highest court came down last week.
The court had refused to hear an appeal of a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in favour of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The Moroun family wanted MDOT to stop buying land they and other companies owned in the path of the Michigan approach to the new bridge, according to the Free Press.
The Moroun family, whose bridge controls all of the truck traffic at the Detroit-Windsor border crossing, had filed five lawsuits in an attempt to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge from being built. All have been thrown out except one, which the Free Press reports concerns the Moroun's right to appeal a ruling on the condemnation of some properties.
The Canadian government is funding the construction of the bridge, which began in essence in early October with a formal groundbreaking in Windsor. Michigan is paying Canada back through toll collection.
The bridge is expected to be opened to traffic in the fall of 2024.
