The Ambassador Bridge, linking Windsor to Detroit, is privately owned by Michigan-based businessman Matty Moroun. He profits from a generous 60 million dollars annually, in toll revenues and it’s no big surprise since this bridge serves North America’s busiest trade corridor, handling 500 million dollars daily.

So the Windsor-Detroit link is very important, for both Canada and the United States but there’s a huge problem. As it stands, the bridge is a bidirectional traffic nightmare featuring ongoing bottlenecks and congestion that doesn’t even spare the trucking industry which is hurting badly from this state of affairs.

In short, the clogged Windsor-Detroit crossing is a heavy barrier to both trade and travel.

Matty Moroun knows this and he’s planning another “twin-span” bridge to be erected just a few meters from the current 79-years-old Ambassador Bridge but his plans aren’t moving fast enough so the DRIC has studied alternative locations to build a new bridge, intended to resolve the massive traffic problems at the border, on both sides.

After evaluating several routes, the DRIC is said to have chosen a preferential corridor that spans from Brighton Beach, on Canada’s side of the Detroit River and lands just northeast of Zug Island, on the US side, to then travel into a plaza located in an industrial area of Detroit known as Delray.

So who’s part of DRIC?

Decisive public partners such as Transport Canada, the Ontarian Ministry of Transportation, the US Federal Highway Administration as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation are in charge of the Detroit River International Crossing Project (DRIC) binational border transportation partnership group.

The entire end-to-end project, including the Windsor-Essex Parkway, is anticipated to cost 5 billion dollars and create up to 25,000 person years of employment — this is very good news for both Windsor and Detroit workers. The final say on the new bridge’s location will however be officially announced sometime in the summer of 2008 by officials from both sides of the border.

Get a feel for the whole project with the following images from the WEParkway web site:

It’s important to note that Canada is experiencing its second-longest period of economic expansion in history. That’s mainly why Canada is investing in such modern, world-class infrastructure projects in order to foster a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and hopefully safer, more prosperous communities.

While the new bridge isn’t built yet, commuters and truckers on both sides of the border will benefit from a massively upgraded crossborder highway transportation system.

Tags: ambassador bridge, windsor, detroit, bridge, north american, trade, travel, border, prosperity

Moving things around the world or around the block just got pricier and any new gas alternative out there will suddenly become a lot more interesting. That’s exactly how the US Department of Energy sees things. The spirit of their initiatives go something like “If it can be built, then let’s promote it… and perhaps even celebrate it.”

You should bookmark their Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy information web site for extensive reviews of technologies that apply to the T&L industry in part but may have significant impacts on several fronts on your business operations, such as:

• Biomass
• Building Technologies
• Distributed Energy
• Vehicle Technologies
• Geothermal Technologies
• Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies (Must Read)
• Industrial Technologies
• Solar Technologies
• Weatherization
• Wind and Hydropower

But that’s not all, the EERE operates the US Government’s Fuel Economy web site, dedicated mainly to consumer vehicles, which also apply to many commercial fleets. Many engaging themes are available, such as: gasoline prices, gas mileage tips, hybrid vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles and energy efficiency. The Fast Fuel Cost Calculator can also come in handy to see how much fuel efficient cars can save you and your company, over the course of several years of operation.

If you’re a fan of ethanol, the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s interactive Ethanol E85 map quickly shows where you can find refueling stations across the United States. Minnesota seems to have the lead, for now!

As expected, there’s a lot of activity going on for altertive fuels applied to consumer vehicles. Battery powered city buses and such have been successfully deployed but it’ll be a few years before you can replace your current fleet of large vans for alternative fuel equivalents. That’s fine because consumer vehicle progresses can often serve as tangible inspiration to companies who serve the transports and logistics operators.

Let’s not get overly enthusiastic. After all, commercial transportation is all about performance. Heavier loads, shorter delays. Nowadays, only fossil fuel can deliver in the face of such demanding standards. Even if you dream about going to your local Peterbilt truck shop to order a hydrogen fuel powered model, it’s just not possible.

So why should you care about all that’s going on in the consumer market?

Because the progress is real, on almost every front.

Never in recent history have we been closer to getting our hands on fully functional altertive energy cars that perform as well, if not better, than current gasoline comparables. Almost all auto makers are actively building tomorrow’s technology today and some models can help you save the environment, even if it’s in a small way, at first.

If you would like to know more about how you can “green up” your company’s vehicles and operations, you can also visit the US Environmental Protection Agency to get a bigger picture of how fuel economy fits in a greener future scenario.

For now, all eyes are on “alternative” solutions!

Tags: alternative fuels, greener cars, epa, hydrogen fuel, fossil fuel, transportation, economy