Letter: Ambassador Bridge can safely transport hazmat

This year marks the 91st year of service for the Ambassador Bridge. We are proud to operate such an iconic piece of history that has been a centerpiece of the Detroit and Windsor skylines for so many years. We are in the midst of a $100M renovation investment that, when completed in early 2022, will extend the lifespan of the bridge by at least another 75 years. We are not going anywhere, and are looking to the future with optimism.

To better serve our customers, the Ambassador Bridge recently applied to allow transport of two additional classes of hazardous material. We would like to address some concerns we have heard, and hope the following information will clarify why fulfilling our request will improve public health and safety rather than threaten it.

First, the Ambassador Bridge has experience and a long track record of safely handling hazardous materials. The Ambassador Bridge currently transports five classes of hazardous material, including flammable solids, and has done so for decades without incident. The bridge company has not requested (and has no intention to request) to carry explosives or toxic waste across the bridge.

Second, lifting the restrictions will reduce miles driven through Detroit neighborhoods. With the completion of the Gateway project and its direct highway connections to our bridge plaza, commercial motor vehicles hauling hazardous materials never have to exit the highway to gain access to our bridge. To use the Windsor Ferry, they do.

In fact, the analysis we submitted to the Michigan Department of Transportation shows lifting these restrictions would result in almost 100,000 fewer miles driven in Michigan each year by commercial motor vehicles hauling hazardous materials. A Freedom of Information Act report issued from the Michigan State Police confirmed that 29 accidents involving hazmat have occurred along Interstate 94 between Detroit and Port Huron since 2011. Many, if not all of these accidents may have been avoided if the trucks carrying this material were allowed to cross over the Ambassador Bridge.

Next, the bridge has a regularly inspected fire suppression system. According to the Windsor Fire & Rescue Services, the system was “designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 502.” Both the Windsor and Detroit Fire Departments inspect the fire suppression system, and both have confirmed that this system meets their requirements.

In addition to inspections by the local fire departments, we share the reports from our annual engineering inspections of the bridge with all appropriate government agencies, as required by law.

The foregoing facts demonstrate why numerous elected officials have written letters to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer supporting our request, including Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, Wayne County Chief Executive Warren Evans, eight members of the Detroit delegation to the State House, three members of the Detroit delegation to the State Senate, and Congressional Rep. Brenda Lawrence. 

Finally, we recognize the need for a deeper level of transparency and better communication with our neighbors and the communities we serve. To that end, we have hosted numerous elected officials at the bridge to tour the facility, we have met with community groups, and we are making efforts to publish the facts on this issue.  We invite anyone who is interested in learning more about this issue to review our 175-page submission to MDOT in its entirety.

Esther Jentzen, community and government relations

Detroit International Bridge Company