Ambassador Bridge - 99% Invisible

"Detroit, Michigan is home to the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit to the Canadian border city of Windsor. The Ambassador is essential. CNN once called it "the most economically important one-and-a-half miles of roadway in the Western Hemisphere." And every day, endless lines of trucks wait for hours, so they can be processed by a border agent. Everybody - the auto industry, importers, tourists heading north - has to use this bridge, because they have virtually no other choice."

"Mexicantown is right at the bridge's entry point, and residents have suffered through loud honking and negative health effects for decades. Sam Butler, president of a local neighborhood group, says it's not uncommon for residents to clean black soot off their windows. Residents in Windsor don't like the bridge, either, as it's not well maintained. Large chunks of concrete have been known to break off and fall on the streets below."

"While they have complaints about the bridge, locals can't petition the city, or the county, or even the US or Canadian governments with their concerns. That's because none of those entities own this bridge. The Ambassador is privately owned. In fact, for the longest time, the Ambassador Bridge was owned by one man, a very private businessman named Matty Moroun."

Ambassador Bridge connects Detroit and Windsor and carries critical international freight and passenger traffic, with lengthy truck waits for border processing. The bridge serves the auto industry, importers, and tourists because alternatives are limited: a nearby tunnel is too small for most trucks and the next nearest bridge lies about 65 miles away. Trucks route past or through Mexicantown, exposing residents to constant noise, honking, soot, and reported negative health effects. Windsor residents also report maintenance and safety concerns, including falling concrete. The bridge is privately owned and was controlled for decades by businessman Matty Moroun, limiting local governmental recourse.

Read at 99% Invisible