As a Michigander, I remember voting on this years ago. My family and friends were all very confused why anyone was trying to frame having a second bridge to Windsor was a bad thing. The next closest bridge is in Port Huron, 64 miles(100KM) away. Thank you for showing the face of the man responsible!
@@Wltrwllyngaeiou I did not, but I am not sure who you are asking. I think it passed with 55% or so, but it was way too close because of the crappy wordsmithing. I mean Canada basically offered to build a free bridge for us and we almost voted it down lol
@@PurestPosition Oops, you fell for Moroun's propaganda. Canada is picking up nearly the entire cost of the bridge and the customs complexes and freeway/interstate connections on *both* sides of the bridge. The funding announced by Trump the video talks about amounts to a quarter of a percent of the total cost. The US is getting a vital trade connection (even other states petitioned Michigan to allow its construction) courtesy of *Canadian* taxpayers. You're welcome.
As a Michigander, that guy has always pissed us off. Every time there is an attempt to improve Canada-US trade and benefit both countries, he comes in and uses his money to torpedo projects.
most everybody in SE Michigan hates Matty by the way his family also owns more than one trucking company his family also owns lots of blighted property in Detroit, bought whole neighborhoods and then left them to rot
Bridges always help to increase trade and improve the economy. Can't believe that the owner of the bridge was able to stop development of a 2nd bridge.
This bridge is also needed cause the Ambassador bridge doesn't directly connect I-75 with Southern Ontario's Highway network, once in Windsor, you're on a stroad... The new Gordie Howe bridge will directly connect with the E.C. Row Expressway, a highway built a while ago for this very purpose. It connects with the 401 without a single traffic light, and the 401 connects Windsor with London, Kitchener, Mississauga, Toronto, Kingston and Montreal, with connections to Hamilton and Ottawa along the way
Do traffic lights matter that much when you've got to queue up for the ports of entry at the border? If border customs are the throughput bottleneck then it shouldn't matter that much.
@@lekhakaananta5864 it make sure the only bottleneck is the crossing the ambassador bridge is a nightmare for that you need to pass throw winsdor slowing down local traffic and yourself where having the bridge directly leading to the highway will dramatically increase trafic flow
Proud to say I was part of this project for the last 3 years as a local Windsorite. Managed 17,000m3 worth of concrete pours. The south tower on the Canadian side has 2 of my phones embedded near the road deck aha.
If there is one thing a monopoly hates, it's competition. Also shows that billionaires shouldn't be expected to do anything not immediately in their self-interest.
the new bridge is going to be the same. the government pays for construction then they give it to a private company who collects tolls for a massive profit
Spending tens of millions on legal actions, tv adverts and direct petitions to the white house when you could have used that money to build an even bigger and better bridge is pretty stupid. But then again, the billionaire in question was a Moroun.
Tens of millions wouldn't have even laid the foundations for this bridge. Some studies have shown that corporations get an 800:1 return on lobbying efforts. Of course, as this video shows, they don't always get their way. But it still makes sense to try given a reasonable estimate of the expected return. Who knows how much revenue he stands to lose, but if Maroun estimated there was even a 10% chance of stopping the bridge it was probably a rational investment.
Millions would be nothing compared to what happened if he lost the bid, let alone building another bridge bruh... tens of millions will just count as another hour, another bricks...
There was also an attempt by the then owners of the Detroit River railroad tunnels to convert them into a tollway for trucks (whist building a new railroad tunnel with sufficient clearance for doublestack container trains). Needless to say the billionaire stopped that too.
The Ambassador Bridge owner may have delayed the Gordon Howe Bridge by 20 years, but as someone whose made that crossing a bunch in my life, I’m confident the new bridge will quickly replace the old one. The Ambassador Bridge is an absolute nightmare and requires getting off a protected highway and going traffic light to traffic light through Windsor. Not to mention the Ambassador Bridge will have to be replaced in the next decade or so and I’m happy to see it so.
@@carlosandleon B1M doesn't allow links in comments, even links to TH-cam. Best I can do is give you the TH-cam video ID of the news story about the commercial: rp9cMTZhKoc
It was a privately constructed and owned crossing from the get go. International border infrastructure like this is completely different from domestic projects, as they require corporations to be formed to build and administer them regardless. So, while they can be jointly owned by the various governments, they can also be private, operating off a charter. As to the continued ownership of the Ambassador by Moroun, as irritating a pain in the ass as he was, the cost of buying him out would have represented a large (billions of dollars), pointless expenditure at a time when the funds were better spent elsewhere. The bridge still has to be maintained to appropriate safety standards and such, and the Ambassador Bridge company will have even more incentive to do so as the additional competition forces them to up their game. I used to cross the Ambassador multiple times a week, and always found the traffic to be a hassle. While I haven't been down there since 2019, I daresay the addition of the new bridge is going to be a major benefit.
I just spent a week in Windsor and Detroit doing my part working on this project. You don't really see how large the project is without being there in person.
And, the bridge is one aspect of a huge, multi-year infrastructure project that has been going on for decades. Also, the affects are not just felt in Windsor and Detroit, there have been major connection projects linking I-75/I-96 and the Hwy 401/Hwy 3 to the new bridge. It's allowed industry from manufacturing to agriculture to grow on both sides of the border. Living in the area all my life has allowed to see these projects transform the region. It's awesome. 🙂👍🏻
Yes, I know it's, politically, an international border but it's also a geographic feature. I'm from the Detroit area and it was amazing to me to visit Pittsburgh and casually count 23 bridges crossing the rivers from where I stood. Looked so sensible!
Back when I was younger my family visited my grandparents who live in Detroit. We crossed the border a few times into Windsor to visit my dad's brother in Ontario. We would always go via the Ambassador's Bridge or a tunnel. Although I was young, I still remember crossing the Bridge to Canada. We currently live in Australia, and haven't been back over there for a decade unfortunately. So seeing this project happening makes me excited for when we hopefully go back soon, and maybe I might go over it if it is finished! Great video!
It’s absolutely mind-boggling to me how an American citizen can own not only an international border crossing, but one of such vital importance while personally amassing all of its associated revenue.
Windsorite here, great coverage on most of this. A few things to note about how hard Muroun actually did fight against the bridge: He effectively de valued entire neighborhoods in windsors poorest areas by buying property, boarding it up and letting it become derelict, so that he could buy the remaining properties for cheaper. Also, from what I had heard (and saw) he actually began building his new bridge without permits prior to being charged and arrested (for 1 day I believe it was? Although I doubt he ever sat in jail at al). The new bridge was to be built directly next to the old one, and they actually use what would have been it’s on ramps as the old bridges on ramps to this day.
Excellent Point & you're certainly well informed. It's a travesty ,the sh!t he got away with . Not only him but countless other CAREER CRIMINALS AS WELL BE IT PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS TO MICHIGAN POLITICIANS & PROBABLY A FEW HANDFULS OF FEDERAL ONES AS WELL!
I have family in Windsor, and the stories I heard about the guy are crazy. Apparently he was trying to buy up the land that these pillars were on so he could block it that way.
It seems like this guy has gotten away with too much meddling in the communities on both sides of the Detroit river. Wishing the best for the cities of Windsor and Detroit!
I spoke to one of the project managers involved in this project pursuit to potentially working directly on this project. While that hasn't come to fruition, I love every aspect of this project as a Torontonian Red Wings fan.
Ha! Dude! That bridge is being build in my neck of the woods! Seeing it featured on the B1M is so cool! I've been watching the B1M for a few year and never did I expect my little corner of Canada to make it on the channel. Thanks for featuring this project! 🇨🇦✌🏻
Hiya neighbour. I can't wait to see what the new bridge looks like when it gets completed. Still wondering whether we'll be calling it the "Howe" or the "Gordie" though.
Is Canada adding any money to the project? Or is the U.S paying for the whole thing because it sounds like they are. I just wonder because the name part lol
That bridge can't be built soon enough! That Ambassador bridge is falling apart. It's pretty scary when you are sitting in traffic midway along the bridge and you see examine the rusting structure. That greedy billionaire did not spend much for the upkeep of that bridge, it'a going to fall apart one day. That's why there was so much pressure to build a new bridge.
As someone who doesn't know hockey at all, that's a pretty cool guy to name the bridge after then. Literal embodiment of out brotherly connections between our nations.
The new bridge also eliminates the need to drive through a part of the urban area of Windsor with multiple street lights. We also disliked driving through pot-holed roads in the run down area as you existed US boarder inspections trying to find I75 south on our way to Texas in the winter. We eventually switched to crossing at Fort Erie/Buffalo even though it increased our drive time. Really looking forward to using this new bridge.
There's nothing quite as inconvenient as having to expose oneself to conditions the lower classes live in as one swans from summer chateau to winter villa. _sniff_
Hard to pin point exactly what part of Michigan you're talking about when you describe the "pot holed roads in the run down area as you existed US boarder inspections". Pretty much describes the drive from bridge exit to Ohio border lol.
@@tomcurtis7602 I work in Toledo only two exits south of the Michigan line and you can FEEL the road change from crap to less crap when you cross into Ohio.
the US side got a direct interstate connection from the Ambassador bridge to I-75 and I-96 back in 2013, however the Canadian side does just spill out into Huron Church avenue for two miles or so until you get to the interchange with EC Row and the 401
Just the 401 extension on the Canadian side was an engineering marvel and a major undertaking. Just look at G Earth, many long sections below grade and covered over. It cost 1.4 bn Canadian alone.
Michigan is also home to another, even larger bridge whose scale takes my breath away: the Mackinac Bridge. It also has an interesting history, but it is not nearly as recent or involving such an infamous family.
Go check out the Canakkale Bridge (Dardanelles Bridge) in the Republic of Turkey. It's twice the length and just recently opened. It's the longest suspension bridge in the world (2023 m). De brug die nu wordt gebouwd in Canada is op wereldschaal een 'kleine' brug. Japan, China en Turkije zijn koplopers op dit gebied.
Thanks for covering the most important construction project in the region. Manuel "Matty" Moroun was a real piece of work. He had so much clout in the Michigan state government, through "campaign contributions", that the republican governor at the time (Snyder) couldn't get the project funded by the state. This was the case even though his own party had strong majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. He finally had to do a legal end run around the legislators to even get the project going.
In Canada, the "campaign contribution" method of influencing the government of the day is hardly a thing compared to USA. Contributions by individuals are limited to CDN $1600, partly tax deductible, making it indirectly a public subsidy. In the USA, "campaign rallys" can fill a whole stadium, while in Canada they are lucky to be in a church basement meeting room.
@@haweater1555 You can thank Chretien for creating that rule and Harper for lowering the limit. Before that, people put way too much money into Canadian politics.
As a Canadian, a couple of key items missing. The importance to the Canadian economy cannot be overstated. One quarter of ALL Canada/USA trade was driven over the Ambassador bridge (the nearby Detroit - Windsor Tunnel cannot be used by trucks). So important that the ENTIRE cost of the bridge, the US port of entry facilities, and the highway connection to I75 in Detroit will be bourne by the Canadian government. The US is either indifferent to the project or knows that Canada's hand was forced in order to get this done. The principal Ontario Highway 401 ends miles short of downtown Windsor, so ALL trucks and cars travelling between countries on the Ambassador are backed up behind many traffic lights in the city. A brand new direct freeway has been built from 401 to the new bridge site, and has been finished and waiting for years. Because of the easy road access to GHB, the Ambassador or its possible same-site replacement is at a serious disadvantage.
@@mankepoot9440 Is this a parody of Trump's statement of a wall between US/Mexico? How ironic that the bridge eases flow between two countries and a wall inhibits it... and the US isn't paying for either just because it doesn't want to.
Canada is covering the up front costs, with the US' share to be recouped through tolls. The US won't get any revenue until the cost of the bridge loan (🤣) is paid in full.
I didn't know this video exists but it's weird seeing this project that I pass every day being feature and billionaires in Detroit go so deep that yes they can stop a bridge. Bu this bridge is so needed. Last summer when CA was having issues with their side of the border (staffing) they congested all of our freeways so bad. Trucks were just lining all the freeways. I'm hoping this bridge will ease the traffic and allow more tourism to Detroit's changing landscape and economy.
I live near this, and it is a massive undertaking, definitely the tallest thing on the Windsor side. One thing that is not covered to well is that the Ambassador Bridge is one of the bridges that is in the cheaper to demolish than fix category. The underside is covered in wood to prevent chunks hitting people and cars, and the parking that was under it was removed. Moroun had to be sued to actually fix the guardrails on the thing. Odds are the bridge will come down in the next 20 years, probably by gravity rather than controlled.
@@h8GW I am no refurbisher but the legs themselves are rusting out. The guardrails were full of holes big enough to put your hand in before teh fix, the actual structure is little better. It effects the entire bridge, not just the roaddeck
You forgot to mention that Canada is covering 85% of the cost of constructing the bridge. Michigan had to purchase the land on their side of the bridge, but then was reimbursed by the Canadian government. I was surprised to read that Republican members of the Michigan legislature were originally opposed to this new bridge. Could it have been the large campaign contributions from that billionaire? I wonder?
Careful - Yes, Canada is covering a majority of the upfront costs but they will be getting it all back Via the Tolls charged on both sides. It was a sickening political move to sidestep Morouns blockage attempts. He was doing everything to keep it from being funded & then Canada stepped up & said "...No sweat. We got this" & took the 1 thing he had full control of right out of the equation. It was right at that point when the fight literally stopped cold.
I understand that Canada is covering most of the upfront costs for this project, but will keep all of the toll charges, rather than splitting the tools.
So excited you covered the bridge! Matty Maroun is a Batman-style supervillain. You want someone almost universally hated by all Detroiters? Look no further. I work next to the Ambassador toll plaza in Detroit and it's congested with trucks almost every single day. Very excited for the Gordie Howe to finish!
Windsorite here, the Maroun family did so much damage on both sides of this border crossing economically it's ridiculous. I've never seen two cities from two countries hate a family for than these people.
Crazy how this guy simply has the status of "owner" and thus can take $45 per truck off into his pocket without providing anything in return but blocking other state owned bridges. The price of the trucks should be exactly as much as is needed to maintain the bridge, or build another one. This man is everything that is bad about capitalism: a senile old man who is a billionaire because he could mercilessly exploit his economic position. Now he's using that money to defend his position against everyone's interest. 🤢
He also owns a big trucking company (which he did even before the bridge) and his trucks get to cross for free (part of the reason he bought the bridge) so it gives him a competitive advantage there too.
You haven't mentioned why a second span alongside the Ambassador bridge wasn't feasible. On the Canadian side, a second span would have to use Huron Church road, a main street artery in Windsor while good for lots of car traffic does not handle the enormous amount of trucks traveling over it every year to get to highway 401 (the main artery connecting Windsor to the GTA). The amount of repair work that has to be done is insane and expensive, to the point its done almost annually. This road also divides residential neighbourhoods from nearby businesses and institutions like mom-and-pop shops, banks, grocery stores, high schools and university facilities. Traffic in this area can't get extremely hairy during rush hour and has been proven unsafe, forcing the city to spend enormous amounts of money on safety measures like a pedestrian bridge to a high school after a parent was killed by tractor trailer while crossing Huron. The Gordie Howe bridge will directly connect to the 401, which means pretty much all trucks will be diverted through this bridge rather through the Ambassador bridge, representing an enormous loss of revenue for the Ambassador bridge, who will now have to compete with the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and the Gordie Howe bridge for passenger car traffic. Don't feel bad for the Moroun family though, they have plenty of other profitable businesses in logistics and had many decades to figure out the inevitable infrastructure problems on the Canadian side and anticipate them. Instead they decided leach off the traffic crossing this bridge and at times leaving bridge to deteriorate at the expense of people living near or under the bridge on both sides.
You know Comrade I always felt bad for the Windsor side of The Ambassador, you're 💯 spot on with the snarling traffic issues on Windsors surface streets , the safety issues alone were well enough to of sped up the building of the new bridge ( to the awesomely built 401 connection ) That traffic was ridiculous for far to many years as many of lives were lost to the grueling back ups be on the US sides interstate connections to Windsors inbound & outbound surface streets. Especially after September 11th I can't think of any legitimate reason why an international bridge was allowed to even stay in a private citizens hands. Glad that's all changing though.
they are still making a second one that was misinformation on his part he clearly did not read the correct information or he would have fact checked his work
@@matthewshultz2495 Huronchurch is always a shitshow, otherwise we're fine, And Huron church isn't used as much as some are saying (part of that is we all know it's a shitshow) generally speaking you can get anywhere in the city without using it, I only ever go down there If I'm hitting a restaurant on the road.
@Braydon s I'm certain it wasn't a constant & its been a few years since I drove truck & doing cross boarder runs. As a non resident of Windsor I'm speaking on the issues I often encountered. Which too many times be it Canadian or U.S. customs system would go down creating ridiculous back ups. Now it wasn't in every back up but there were to many times where traffic would back up onto one or several interstates on the Michigan side & all it would & did take was one semi or car nor paying attention and slamming into the back of another vehicle, as often it'd be a chain reaction. Creating an even greater nightmare. Then there were times an some oversize trucks caused issues hitting bridges an what not. To stalled and or broke down trucks in travel lanes, etc etc as my list could go on and on . However I'm simply agreeing that a 401 direct connection to the boarder & via customs would greatly reduce the issues that were often caused by taking hundreds of international trade trucks from an interstate, through customs, to just dump them off within the confines of city streets. It created more issues than it certainly ever solved. Not sure how often you go back & forth but I'm certain someone has video of just how ridiculous it can get ,moving from one side to the other ,especially in inclement weather, toss in some accidents ( be it major or minor) & a break down or two. Both sides have had its fair share of snarled up ,grueling debacles.
I don't know how Fred Mills continues to _squeeze_ his way into obtaining such important and confidential details about construction and government plans
really really good! loved the details and commentary, all the video clips used were great as well. the ending summarizing the importance of this really was the cherry. NICE!
As another commenter pointed out: just think how overdue this bridge is, and how many years (decades even!) this crook has been allowed to have a monopoly on such a vital transport link!
@@mikespearwood3914 tbh he should be damn happy the governments of US and Canada are just building a bridge, And not just using methods available to governments to just take his away.
This video is just another reason why I just love this channel! Fascinating stuff, and a lot of new information for me, as I had not heard anything about this bridge before.
@@mikespearwood3914 for not only giving context and depth of information he's giving out, but with the humor and puns that are sprinkled in this tasty morsel from this channel.
As someone who grew up in Windsor, right near the Ambassador bridge, one additional motivator for this bridge's construction is public health. There is a cancer cluster near the road leading to the Canadian side of the bridge, which many believe is due to the stopped traffic (which is mostly tractor trailers). The whole Canadian side now has a huge sunken highway entrance leading to the new span, and green parkway surrounding it.
Yet another awesome point that's 💯 spot on . I remember that as well ,especially when traffic was stuck on the bridge you could see an smell the cloud of emissions ( especially in inclement weather) that would eventually settle on one side or the other. Not to mention the countless & virtually never ending idling trucks at either Duty Free Center . A huge mess all the way around.
I'm a Canadian trucker and I always cross at the Blue Water Bridge, that goes from Port Huron, MI, to Sarnia, ON. It also has a toll on it, but it's almost always clear.
That billionaire complaining about another bridge being built but not taking the initiative to expand his existing bridge is hilarious 😂 You know that it is having over capacity issue and becoming bottleneck. Then use your money to built a new one
What? Spend his own money? Bite your tongue. He wanted both countries (ie: taxpayers in Michigan and Ontario) to foot the bill. Glad he's dead. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Fun fact: That ballot measure that he pushed to block the Gordie Howe bridge? If it had passed, literally every bridge that would be built in Michigan going forward would have to be approved by public referendum.
I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and i drive by this project often and its amazing to watch a bridge being built. The support pillars leading to the Canadian tower are being poured and set up right now. The bridge towers are already visible from different vantage points from the city and county. Everything about this bridge and the new highway leading to it have taken longer than expected, but now it's starting to come together. Very cool to see!
@@quransunsolicitedopinion5708 that’s true, I meant more they could talk about the arena and then as a side note the district Detroit, alternatively Michigan central station could be a good video, or really any of the restorations like David Stott
The pure, unfiltered greed of this man. Imagine being this stinkin´ rich, you have maybe 15-20 years left on this planet and all you care about is making even more of a fortune at the cost of everyone else. Thats all thats on your mind and you would do anything for it. One could almost feel sad for such a sad piece of shit. Almost.
Anything, which includes bribing the legislators (in the US it's called free speech and campaign contributions) and corrupting the process for generations.
he didn't even have 10 years left ... good that he dies, because it blocks the future. I just don't understand why the owners of large corporations allowed to block the construction of a new bridge, because everyone was losing out on it
A new international cable-stayed bridge is under construction on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, it is called the Integration Bridge. It should improve traffic on the Friendship Bridge, the existing link between Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay).
You mean like this one: In Laufenburg, the swiss an german built a bridge over the rhine. Pitty only, that the german "sea level" is defined differently in Germany (north sea) and Switzerland (mediterranean sea). Actually, they even thought about that 27cm difference. Just messed up which one. So they ended up with a 54cm difference. Ups
@@aurelspecker6740 But they actually realized their mistake in time and it was still early enough to fix it without additional cost, if I remember it correctly.
@@IgorRockt Very possibly, I just remember it happening and looked up news stories to verify my brain. Didn't read the whole story again. I think that story had a huge positive impact though. It was more effective than any class, to teach that "sea level" is not a universally agreed on norm. ;)
Please name one bridge ever built from two side at the same time that wasn’t out in some way. It’s kind of engineered in for correction. Remember the earth is moving!
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It should just be illegal for billionaires to be billionaires. There should be some kind of wallet system that caps out after so many 9s, and everything beyond that is automatically earmarked to public works projects or housing or something.
Just the free Market isn't it, he overcharged because he's greedy, so a new bridge was built, but because as with most billionaires it's "free market" for everyone else, but subsidies i.e. government welfare, anti-competition and monopolies for thee, he tried to block it like the petulant child he is. If you want a laugh check out his wiki page, how it tries to pretend it was hard work that got him billions and not his parents, he goes from manning petrol pumps at his dads "tiny" firm and polishing a bus, and literally the next paragraph, he suddenly has enough to be buy a $13 billion bridge i.e. his dad gave him the money. As always it's to justify and pretend like you could do it too if you just pumped gas, you could be a billionaire nonsense.
Not only is it 45$ for trucks, I was just there working on this project, and for passenger vehicles to go across, it's 6$USD or 8$CAD AND the bridge is down to one lane in each direction right now for half of the journey across... AND some of the toll booths don't work...
Oh and if you want a laugh read his wiki page, as always with really rich people it tries it's hardest to pretend they actually worked for their money, he was just working at his dads "tiny", "family firm" he even cleaned a bus once and manned petrol pumps, all this hard work payed off and suddenly he can buy a $13 billion bridge... I.e. his dad was a multi millionaire possibly, billionaire and gave his son the money. But we have to pretend like he earned it and you can to if you work hard enough...
Getting anything from the government isn’t free market, so it always bothers me when people act like what any of these people in corporations or governments are enacting free market economies.
It might've been worth mentioning that Moroun died nearly 2 years ago. The new bridge was going to go forward anyways but his death may have prevented further legal battles.
We have a new cable stay bridge in the Vancouver Lower Mainland area that crosses the Fraser River. We had a massive problem of ice forming on the cables and massive chunks falling down on the vehicles below. I wonder if they solved that problem in the initial design for this one?
The narrator never mentions that there is also a Detroit- Windsor tunnel for automobiles and another for rail cars traffic. This tunnel is very old and newer double stack rail cars cannot pass through. An hour north of Detroit is the Port Huron to Sarnia Bluewater Bridge which is a twin bridges for traffic and more important than all of these is the CN tunnel which double stack rail cars can move through. I love the fact that they name the bridge after Gordie Howe. A much loved hockey great. Loved and respected on both sides of border. Got his autograph as a kid and is still one of my most cherished items.
i think the biggest success of this channel is how it managed to get me, a european, not-at-all-into-any-construction-connected individual, interested in new bridge being built between Canada and US.
Anyone looking at a map can see that the ambassador bridge was not built with volume in mind on the Canadian side. A bridge that busy just landing in the residential area with no highway males no sense.
it actually goes straight into a dense commercial area, there's kind of a highway (3 lanes both ways) but there's like 10 sets of streetlights before it connects up with the national highway system proper. That road gets backed up all the time sometimes several kilometres. SO happy the new bridge is just connecting straight up to the 401 and going around the bulk of the city, should relieve truck traffic in the city itself immensely and speed up border crossings for normal people. (and will give that poor road some mercy, government has to repave it like every 4 years from all the heavy traffic it sees)
So let me see if I understand this correctly, a guy was allowed to own a bridge, install toll booths to charge money for crossing the bridge as if he was little John from fu**ing Robin Hood while also providing a shit service and slow speed through it because "hey, it's better than swimming, my way or the waterway". And then tried to boycott the new bridge from being built. I can't imagine what his childhood must have been like.
Actually his father owned two gas stations and he worked there when he was a kid and ended up taking over and became a billionaire from working his way up so hate the guy all you want you gotta give him credit for making himself a billionaire, if ya can’t beat the system join it
@@nicklight3290 Sure, he worked his way up into being lucky enough to be born in a family that owned gas stations in the richest most car-obsessed country in the world. Those poor leukemia kids need to toughen up and start making that ching-ching if they ever want to own a bridge.
As a Canadian I have to say that I'm pretty tired of Hockey being the focus of every damn thing we do. There were hundreds of thousands of Veterans this bridge could have been named after. The name 'Sir Arthur Currie Bridge' comes to mind. Naming an international structure after a dude that put rubber into a net is absurd.
Great job with this story. Many of us just love construction videos. I'm 78, but I hope to live long enough to see many more mega-projects completed. No. 1 or 2 in the whole world? The Strait of Messina bridge in Italy. Unfortunately the Sicilians (Italians?) don't want to lose some of their identity. May 23, 2022 Missouri, USA
I wonder whether they came up with solution to the cable icing problem that plagues the recently built cable stayed bridge in Toledo. Whenever there are icing conditions, ice forms on the cables, then falls to the roadway, smashing cars. The bridge is fully or partially closed whenever icing is present, diverting to the old lift bridge next to the new bridge. It is very fortunate that the old bridge was left in place, otherwise the traffic snarl would be even worse.
I'm so glad I can finally get a mug with Fred's face on.
Oh, also, nice video!
Hahahahaha, you're welcome!!
1st reply
@@TheB1M Is it available in India?
It would have been perfect if the cup would talk to you in Fred's soothing voice as you drank from it. "ohh, great coffee"
@@Boring_vowel no, it's between the US and Canada
As a Michigander, I remember voting on this years ago. My family and friends were all very confused why anyone was trying to frame having a second bridge to Windsor was a bad thing. The next closest bridge is in Port Huron, 64 miles(100KM) away. Thank you for showing the face of the man responsible!
It was even worded scummy by making a yes vote go against the bridge
I wanted a new bridge, but not subsidized with taxes. I voted no.
So you voted yes?
@@Wltrwllyngaeiou I did not, but I am not sure who you are asking. I think it passed with 55% or so, but it was way too close because of the crappy wordsmithing. I mean Canada basically offered to build a free bridge for us and we almost voted it down lol
@@PurestPosition Oops, you fell for Moroun's propaganda. Canada is picking up nearly the entire cost of the bridge and the customs complexes and freeway/interstate connections on *both* sides of the bridge. The funding announced by Trump the video talks about amounts to a quarter of a percent of the total cost. The US is getting a vital trade connection (even other states petitioned Michigan to allow its construction) courtesy of *Canadian* taxpayers. You're welcome.
As a Michigander, that guy has always pissed us off. Every time there is an attempt to improve Canada-US trade and benefit both countries, he comes in and uses his money to torpedo projects.
Windsorite here, we were none too fond of him either for the same reasons
Ive read in other comments that he's dead now. Good riddence. The new bridge WILL be built and there is nothing he or his family can do. So fuck off.
sounds like he needs to be taught a lesson ;)
@@SilverScarletSpider well hes dead so
most everybody in SE Michigan hates Matty by the way his family also owns more than one trucking company
his family also owns lots of blighted property in Detroit, bought whole neighborhoods and then left them to rot
Bridges always help to increase trade and improve the economy. Can't believe that the owner of the bridge was able to stop development of a 2nd bridge.
*Almost succeded to stop
Backhanders to corrupt officials
You can’t believe a billionaire wasn’t a person of good moral character?
It's funny how it even went to a court. How can 1 company stop a massive trade inbetween two countries. Capitalism at its finest.
@@The.Drunk-Koala *crony/corrupt capitalism
This bridge is also needed cause the Ambassador bridge doesn't directly connect I-75 with Southern Ontario's Highway network, once in Windsor, you're on a stroad... The new Gordie Howe bridge will directly connect with the E.C. Row Expressway, a highway built a while ago for this very purpose. It connects with the 401 without a single traffic light, and the 401 connects Windsor with London, Kitchener, Mississauga, Toronto, Kingston and Montreal, with connections to Hamilton and Ottawa along the way
Oh no. We can't have this. It makes too much sense!
Do traffic lights matter that much when you've got to queue up for the ports of entry at the border? If border customs are the throughput bottleneck then it shouldn't matter that much.
@@lekhakaananta5864 It's not a good first inpression when you're coming to Canada
@@lekhakaananta5864 it make sure the only bottleneck is the crossing the ambassador bridge is a nightmare for that you need to pass throw winsdor slowing down local traffic and yourself where having the bridge directly leading to the highway will dramatically increase trafic flow
The Canadian government is paying for it.
2:13 I can't get over the fact that it cost 45$ just to cross a bridge.
I'm speechless... I can't find words to describe how absurd it is.
That's why most people use the tunnel.
at 263 trucks/hour average that is 103,674,000/year in revenue just on trucks
@@SillyPutty3700at minimum.
That's only trucks btw. Normal people only pay $5-7 based on which side you are on
@@dennisdexter5602 Still a absurd... A really big truck should only have to pay $15 max. And even that I already see and too much.
Proud to say I was part of this project for the last 3 years as a local Windsorite. Managed 17,000m3 worth of concrete pours. The south tower on the Canadian side has 2 of my phones embedded near the road deck aha.
@@cap5856 dozens of water bottles, vibrators, survey pin, a wallet
@@frankpasciuta1422 That will be neat in 100 years when they go to tear it down and find those relics.
Been watching you guys 5 days a week twice a coming off the parkway! Looking scarily tall up there now lol
so it is your fault if it fails in that area?
@@zerxilk8169 No.
If there is one thing a monopoly hates, it's competition. Also shows that billionaires shouldn't be expected to do anything not immediately in their self-interest.
the new bridge is going to be the same. the government pays for construction then they give it to a private company who collects tolls for a massive profit
When any rich people speak out against something you should always assume they are doing it for personal gain.
Typical free market behavior
They don't often act in the public interest
@@digitalrandomart3049 the wonders of neoliberalism for you. Cut all services for poor people and expand welfare for the rich and powerful
Spending tens of millions on legal actions, tv adverts and direct petitions to the white house when you could have used that money to build an even bigger and better bridge is pretty stupid. But then again, the billionaire in question was a Moroun.
Tens of millions wouldn't have even laid the foundations for this bridge. Some studies have shown that corporations get an 800:1 return on lobbying efforts. Of course, as this video shows, they don't always get their way. But it still makes sense to try given a reasonable estimate of the expected return. Who knows how much revenue he stands to lose, but if Maroun estimated there was even a 10% chance of stopping the bridge it was probably a rational investment.
Millions would be nothing compared to what happened if he lost the bid, let alone building another bridge bruh... tens of millions will just count as another hour, another bricks...
Oh my God I’m laughing so hard right now I’m had to go to the ER and for a collapsed lung and now I am on the floor pacing myself 🤣😂🤣
I can't imagine having billions and wasting my life on a bridge. House in Hawaii. Vacations in Sicily. What the hell is he doing? Lol.
@@hrlrl9309 he died lol
There was also an attempt by the then owners of the Detroit River railroad tunnels to convert them into a tollway for trucks (whist building a new railroad tunnel with sufficient clearance for doublestack container trains). Needless to say the billionaire stopped that too.
the greed of this bastard is just disgusting
The Ambassador Bridge owner may have delayed the Gordon Howe Bridge by 20 years, but as someone whose made that crossing a bunch in my life, I’m confident the new bridge will quickly replace the old one. The Ambassador Bridge is an absolute nightmare and requires getting off a protected highway and going traffic light to traffic light through Windsor. Not to mention the Ambassador Bridge will have to be replaced in the next decade or so and I’m happy to see it so.
Yeah the thing is an old dump, I can't wait until they blow it up.
I wonder if there will be delays for his bridge?
it is 91 years old
"This bridge will be great for the economy." - everyone else
"But what about MY economy!" - a billionaire
Private companies owning bridges sounds just stupidly absurd.
Even more that there isnt clear policy regarding the issues that creates.
Any link on the TV advert?
@@MrCrackheadst ok communist
@@carlosandleon B1M doesn't allow links in comments, even links to TH-cam. Best I can do is give you the TH-cam video ID of the news story about the commercial: rp9cMTZhKoc
@@JonMartinYXD I saw that. But thanks.
Its an international bridge, why would a private entity own an international boarder crossing is wild to me.
classic murican style "capitalism"!
welcome to 'murica
campaign contributions
It was a privately constructed and owned crossing from the get go.
International border infrastructure like this is completely different from domestic projects, as they require corporations to be formed to build and administer them regardless.
So, while they can be jointly owned by the various governments, they can also be private, operating off a charter.
As to the continued ownership of the Ambassador by Moroun, as irritating a pain in the ass as he was, the cost of buying him out would have represented a large (billions of dollars), pointless expenditure at a time when the funds were better spent elsewhere.
The bridge still has to be maintained to appropriate safety standards and such, and the Ambassador Bridge company will have even more incentive to do so as the additional competition forces them to up their game.
I used to cross the Ambassador multiple times a week, and always found the traffic to be a hassle. While I haven't been down there since 2019, I daresay the addition of the new bridge is going to be a major benefit.
Well, why not? You have a company, get permission from both governments, fund the bridge yourself, and then collect any tolls from it.
I just spent a week in Windsor and Detroit doing my part working on this project. You don't really see how large the project is without being there in person.
And, the bridge is one aspect of a huge, multi-year infrastructure project that has been going on for decades. Also, the affects are not just felt in Windsor and Detroit, there have been major connection projects linking I-75/I-96 and the Hwy 401/Hwy 3 to the new bridge. It's allowed industry from manufacturing to agriculture to grow on both sides of the border. Living in the area all my life has allowed to see these projects transform the region. It's awesome. 🙂👍🏻
Exactly! Every time I drive next to the pillars I say those things are huge!
Huh....I haven't been Downtown since the Pandemic started. I should go take a gander. 😁
@The Paradox Destroyer I've heard it was hit hard and everything is shutting down again like it did in the 80s.
big pp approved
Yes, I know it's, politically, an international border but it's also a geographic feature. I'm from the Detroit area and it was amazing to me to visit Pittsburgh and casually count 23 bridges crossing the rivers from where I stood. Looked so sensible!
Back when I was younger my family visited my grandparents who live in Detroit. We crossed the border a few times into Windsor to visit my dad's brother in Ontario. We would always go via the Ambassador's Bridge or a tunnel. Although I was young, I still remember crossing the Bridge to Canada. We currently live in Australia, and haven't been back over there for a decade unfortunately. So seeing this project happening makes me excited for when we hopefully go back soon, and maybe I might go over it if it is finished! Great video!
It’s absolutely mind-boggling to me how an American citizen can own not only an international border crossing, but one of such vital importance while personally amassing all of its associated revenue.
because Jesus loves money in America
Freedom!
For some people only!
beauty of our country
Billionaires shouldn't exist
@@thanhavictus Amen to that!
Windsorite here, great coverage on most of this. A few things to note about how hard Muroun actually did fight against the bridge:
He effectively de valued entire neighborhoods in windsors poorest areas by buying property, boarding it up and letting it become derelict, so that he could buy the remaining properties for cheaper.
Also, from what I had heard (and saw) he actually began building his new bridge without permits prior to being charged and arrested (for 1 day I believe it was? Although I doubt he ever sat in jail at al). The new bridge was to be built directly next to the old one, and they actually use what would have been it’s on ramps as the old bridges on ramps to this day.
Excellent Point & you're certainly well informed. It's a travesty ,the sh!t he got away with . Not only him but countless other CAREER CRIMINALS AS WELL BE IT PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS TO MICHIGAN POLITICIANS & PROBABLY A FEW HANDFULS OF FEDERAL ONES AS WELL!
I have family in Windsor, and the stories I heard about the guy are crazy. Apparently he was trying to buy up the land that these pillars were on so he could block it that way.
Do you mean Moroun instead of Mulroney?
Mulroney is a former Canadian PM. I think you mean Moroun ;)
It seems like this guy has gotten away with too much meddling in the communities on both sides of the Detroit river. Wishing the best for the cities of Windsor and Detroit!
The Gordie Howe Bridge might be the most Detroit/Canadian thing ive ever heard, and I love it haha
I spoke to one of the project managers involved in this project pursuit to potentially working directly on this project. While that hasn't come to fruition, I love every aspect of this project as a Torontonian Red Wings fan.
I love this crossing with all of my heart. Always went across it every summer as a kid.
Ha! Dude! That bridge is being build in my neck of the woods! Seeing it featured on the B1M is so cool! I've been watching the B1M for a few year and never did I expect my little corner of Canada to make it on the channel. Thanks for featuring this project! 🇨🇦✌🏻
Hiya neighbour. I can't wait to see what the new bridge looks like when it gets completed. Still wondering whether we'll be calling it the "Howe" or the "Gordie" though.
@@AvsJoe probably gordie, seems more iconic imo
Is Canada adding any money to the project? Or is the U.S paying for the whole thing because it sounds like they are. I just wonder because the name part lol
@@chrisortiz8072 the Canadian government is footing the whole bill for now, and will get reimbursed through tolls and such.
@@joesmith1574 so the video was misinformed about the finances? Maybe I should listen again but thought they said money was allocated
A valuable public works project and a billionaire presented in an accurate manner? I'm loving what I'm seeing lately B1M!
That bridge can't be built soon enough! That Ambassador bridge is falling apart. It's pretty scary when you are sitting in traffic midway along the bridge and you see examine the rusting structure. That greedy billionaire did not spend much for the upkeep of that bridge, it'a going to fall apart one day. That's why there was so much pressure to build a new bridge.
"The Greedy Billionaire" is a far better name for the "Ambassador" bridge. :-)
Addendum to my comment: That bridge will collapse one day! You can't hide the cracks and rust with shoddy blue pain job! It's in plain sight!
Funny, he had all that time and money to spend on fighting the new bridge, but not enough money for proper maintenance.
@@berniechmilar6671 Thank you!
@@berniechmilar6671 Well, at this rate he won't have a bridge after it collapses and kills people.
Privately owning a bridge makes me think of the old fairy tails-- where a mean and hungry troll lives under a bridge to collect..
Geordie Howe is a legend. he’s no Wayne Gretzky but he was an amazing hockey player. good that he’s still being honored! love my hockey legends🇨🇦❤️🇺🇸
Perfect symbol of US-Canadian cooperation: Gordie Howe was Canadian, but spent most of his career helping the Detroit Red Wings win big!
As someone who doesn't know hockey at all, that's a pretty cool guy to name the bridge after then. Literal embodiment of out brotherly connections between our nations.
Didn't he die young on the ambassador bridge?
@@thet0xicfish Is that a reference to interminable wait times to cross it?
@@pbasswil Nope, I was just mistaken. I think one old Red Wings player did.
@@thet0xicfish ....who? 🤔 Gordie died at one of his children's home in Ohio.
The new bridge also eliminates the need to drive through a part of the urban area of Windsor with multiple street lights. We also disliked driving through pot-holed roads in the run down area as you existed US boarder inspections trying to find I75 south on our way to Texas in the winter. We eventually switched to crossing at Fort Erie/Buffalo even though it increased our drive time. Really looking forward to using this new bridge.
There's nothing quite as inconvenient as having to expose oneself to conditions the lower classes live in as one swans from summer chateau to winter villa. _sniff_
Coulda crossed at the tunnel or Port Huron at 69. 69 will eventually connect all the way to TX.
Hard to pin point exactly what part of Michigan you're talking about when you describe the "pot holed roads in the run down area as you existed US boarder inspections". Pretty much describes the drive from bridge exit to Ohio border lol.
@@tomcurtis7602 I work in Toledo only two exits south of the Michigan line and you can FEEL the road change from crap to less crap when you cross into Ohio.
the US side got a direct interstate connection from the Ambassador bridge to I-75 and I-96 back in 2013, however the Canadian side does just spill out into Huron Church avenue for two miles or so until you get to the interchange with EC Row and the 401
As a Canadian born and raised in Windsor, it is nice that someone brings to light what has been going on with the new bridge.
My grandfather would love this, he was the chief civil engineer for the city of Detroit in the 1930’s!
Just the 401 extension on the Canadian side was an engineering marvel and a major undertaking. Just look at G Earth, many long sections below grade and covered over. It cost 1.4 bn Canadian alone.
As a Dutch person that loves making videos about infrastructure, I really like the scale of this huge Bridge!
Michigan is also home to another, even larger bridge whose scale takes my breath away: the Mackinac Bridge. It also has an interesting history, but it is not nearly as recent or involving such an infamous family.
Go check out the Canakkale Bridge (Dardanelles Bridge) in the Republic of Turkey. It's twice the length and just recently opened. It's the longest suspension bridge in the world (2023 m). De brug die nu wordt gebouwd in Canada is op wereldschaal een 'kleine' brug. Japan, China en Turkije zijn koplopers op dit gebied.
@@TanjirowGhamadow This bridge is more important economically. :)
@@j2174 Yeah I understand, because of international trade. The Canakkale bridge is more focused on national infrastructure and logistics.
@@TanjirowGhamadow also helps connect all of Michigan and doesn’t force residents to drive around thru wisconsin or take a ferry
Thanks for covering the most important construction project in the region. Manuel "Matty" Moroun was a real piece of work. He had so much clout in the Michigan state government, through "campaign contributions", that the republican governor at the time (Snyder) couldn't get the project funded by the state. This was the case even though his own party had strong majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. He finally had to do a legal end run around the legislators to even get the project going.
In Canada, the "campaign contribution" method of influencing the government of the day is hardly a thing compared to USA. Contributions by individuals are limited to CDN $1600, partly tax deductible, making it indirectly a public subsidy. In the USA, "campaign rallys" can fill a whole stadium, while in Canada they are lucky to be in a church basement meeting room.
@@haweater1555 You can thank Chretien for creating that rule and Harper for lowering the limit. Before that, people put way too much money into Canadian politics.
As a Canadian, a couple of key items missing. The importance to the Canadian economy cannot be overstated. One quarter of ALL Canada/USA trade was driven over the Ambassador bridge (the nearby Detroit - Windsor Tunnel cannot be used by trucks). So important that the ENTIRE cost of the bridge, the US port of entry facilities, and the highway connection to I75 in Detroit will be bourne by the Canadian government. The US is either indifferent to the project or knows that Canada's hand was forced in order to get this done. The principal Ontario Highway 401 ends miles short of downtown Windsor, so ALL trucks and cars travelling between countries on the Ambassador are backed up behind many traffic lights in the city. A brand new direct freeway has been built from 401 to the new bridge site, and has been finished and waiting for years. Because of the easy road access to GHB, the Ambassador or its possible same-site replacement is at a serious disadvantage.
We will build a bridge and make the Canadians pay for it. It will ba beautiful bridge, the best bridge that has ever been build.
@@mankepoot9440 Is this a parody of Trump's statement of a wall between US/Mexico? How ironic that the bridge eases flow between two countries and a wall inhibits it... and the US isn't paying for either just because it doesn't want to.
Canada better be owning the bridge and all facilities out right, and enjoying all revenue that comes from it.
Canada is covering the up front costs, with the US' share to be recouped through tolls.
The US won't get any revenue until the cost of the bridge loan (🤣) is paid in full.
Mouron convinced his GOP lapdogs to refuse to put any money by the State of Michigan into the bridge.
The B1M makes videos on random topics so interesting. Appreciate the hard work. 👍👍👍
I didn't know this video exists but it's weird seeing this project that I pass every day being feature and billionaires in Detroit go so deep that yes they can stop a bridge. Bu this bridge is so needed. Last summer when CA was having issues with their side of the border (staffing) they congested all of our freeways so bad. Trucks were just lining all the freeways. I'm hoping this bridge will ease the traffic and allow more tourism to Detroit's changing landscape and economy.
I live near this, and it is a massive undertaking, definitely the tallest thing on the Windsor side. One thing that is not covered to well is that the Ambassador Bridge is one of the bridges that is in the cheaper to demolish than fix category. The underside is covered in wood to prevent chunks hitting people and cars, and the parking that was under it was removed.
Moroun had to be sued to actually fix the guardrails on the thing. Odds are the bridge will come down in the next 20 years, probably by gravity rather than controlled.
I'd say 10, tops.
But is it cheaper to demolish _and replace_ than to fix? Sounds like it really only needs a deck refurbishment.
@@h8GW I am no refurbisher but the legs themselves are rusting out. The guardrails were full of holes big enough to put your hand in before teh fix, the actual structure is little better. It effects the entire bridge, not just the roaddeck
@@h8GW the bridge is nearly 100 years old in an area with some aggressive winters... It definitely needs to be demolished
You forgot to mention that Canada is covering 85% of the cost of constructing the bridge. Michigan had to purchase the land on their side of the bridge, but then was reimbursed by the Canadian government. I was surprised to read that Republican members of the Michigan legislature were originally opposed to this new bridge. Could it have been the large campaign contributions from that billionaire? I wonder?
This! As a Canadian, this is the part that annoyed me about this video. You didn't deal with this at all.
Canda will pay for most of the bridge.
Perhaps because they are so polite?
Careful - Yes, Canada is covering a majority of the upfront costs but they will be getting it all back Via the Tolls
charged on both sides. It was a sickening political move to sidestep Morouns blockage attempts. He was doing
everything to keep it from being funded & then Canada stepped up & said "...No sweat. We got this" & took the 1 thing
he had full control of right out of the equation. It was right at that point when the fight literally stopped cold.
I understand that Canada is covering most of the upfront costs for this project, but will keep all of the toll charges, rather than splitting the tools.
The bridge is proportionally much more important for Canada than the US. If they are willing to pay for it, than why not let them.
So excited you covered the bridge! Matty Maroun is a Batman-style supervillain. You want someone almost universally hated by all Detroiters? Look no further. I work next to the Ambassador toll plaza in Detroit and it's congested with trucks almost every single day. Very excited for the Gordie Howe to finish!
Hell he’s even hated by suburbanites too which says something
He's hated by pretty much the entire state of Michigan, even up by Saginaw people were angered by his greed
@@nothat0therguy992 Native Saginawian here. Can concur.
from Windsor, no one on the other side likes him either for much the same reasons
Windsorite here, the Maroun family did so much damage on both sides of this border crossing economically it's ridiculous. I've never seen two cities from two countries hate a family for than these people.
I do not understand at all why the owners of corporations on the Canadian and American sides allowed such a thing
@@RascalV666 Private companies owning public infrastructure in general is stupid
I find it hilarious how the Canada tower is a regular maple leaf but the US tower is BAKAW BAKAW eagle gang.
Our prayers go to the billionaire and his family who have been hard tested lately
nah
@@EsKpistOne it was sarcasm dear.
he gone
True dat
LOL
Crazy how this guy simply has the status of "owner" and thus can take $45 per truck off into his pocket without providing anything in return but blocking other state owned bridges. The price of the trucks should be exactly as much as is needed to maintain the bridge, or build another one. This man is everything that is bad about capitalism: a senile old man who is a billionaire because he could mercilessly exploit his economic position. Now he's using that money to defend his position against everyone's interest. 🤢
sounds like he needs to be taught a lesson ;)
@@SilverScarletSpider To be fair he is dead (but his family still owns the company)
@@ericburton5163 ...yeah, but at least his son seems to not be as much of a prick.
@@SilverScarletSpider but he is dead now
He also owns a big trucking company (which he did even before the bridge) and his trucks get to cross for free (part of the reason he bought the bridge) so it gives him a competitive advantage there too.
You haven't mentioned why a second span alongside the Ambassador bridge wasn't feasible. On the Canadian side, a second span would have to use Huron Church road, a main street artery in Windsor while good for lots of car traffic does not handle the enormous amount of trucks traveling over it every year to get to highway 401 (the main artery connecting Windsor to the GTA). The amount of repair work that has to be done is insane and expensive, to the point its done almost annually. This road also divides residential neighbourhoods from nearby businesses and institutions like mom-and-pop shops, banks, grocery stores, high schools and university facilities. Traffic in this area can't get extremely hairy during rush hour and has been proven unsafe, forcing the city to spend enormous amounts of money on safety measures like a pedestrian bridge to a high school after a parent was killed by tractor trailer while crossing Huron. The Gordie Howe bridge will directly connect to the 401, which means pretty much all trucks will be diverted through this bridge rather through the Ambassador bridge, representing an enormous loss of revenue for the Ambassador bridge, who will now have to compete with the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and the Gordie Howe bridge for passenger car traffic.
Don't feel bad for the Moroun family though, they have plenty of other profitable businesses in logistics and had many decades to figure out the inevitable infrastructure problems on the Canadian side and anticipate them. Instead they decided leach off the traffic crossing this bridge and at times leaving bridge to deteriorate at the expense of people living near or under the bridge on both sides.
You know Comrade I always felt bad for the Windsor side of The Ambassador, you're 💯 spot on with the snarling traffic issues on Windsors surface streets , the safety issues alone were well enough to of sped up the building of the new bridge ( to the awesomely built 401 connection ) That traffic was ridiculous for far to many years as many of lives were lost to the grueling back ups be on the US sides interstate connections to Windsors inbound & outbound surface streets. Especially after September 11th I can't think of any legitimate reason why an international bridge was allowed to even stay in a private citizens hands. Glad that's all changing though.
they are still making a second one that was misinformation on his part he clearly did not read the correct information or he would have fact checked his work
@@matthewshultz2495 Huronchurch is always a shitshow, otherwise we're fine, And Huron church isn't used as much as some are saying (part of that is we all know it's a shitshow) generally speaking you can get anywhere in the city without using it, I only ever go down there If I'm hitting a restaurant on the road.
@Braydon s I'm certain it wasn't a constant & its been a few years since I drove truck & doing cross boarder runs. As a non resident of Windsor I'm speaking on the issues I often encountered. Which too many times be it Canadian or U.S. customs system would go down creating ridiculous back ups. Now it wasn't in every back up but there were to many times where traffic would back up onto one or several interstates on the Michigan side & all it would & did take was one semi or car nor paying attention and slamming into the back of another vehicle, as often it'd be a chain reaction. Creating an even greater nightmare. Then there were times an some oversize trucks caused issues hitting bridges an what not. To stalled and or broke down trucks in travel lanes, etc etc as my list could go on and on . However I'm simply agreeing that a 401 direct connection to the boarder & via customs would greatly reduce the issues that were often caused by taking hundreds of international trade trucks from an interstate, through customs, to just dump them off within the confines of city streets. It created more issues than it certainly ever solved. Not sure how often you go back & forth but I'm certain someone has video of just how ridiculous it can get ,moving from one side to the other ,especially in inclement weather, toss in some accidents ( be it major or minor) & a break down or two. Both sides have had its fair share of snarled up ,grueling debacles.
@@braydons5623 ya...that's pretty well because of all the truck traffic.
been watching this project for years now.. area has changed so much in past few years
I passed by this bridge this past August while bringing a boat from Michigan to Ohio. Very impressive!
„Water under the Bridge“ - love these B1M pun’s
Ah yes, my favorite kind of person. Billionaires trying to stop progress because it could interfere with their profits.
ehhh just let him go bankrupt after everyone decides that the Ambassador Bridge is a bad decision and they take the public bridge instead
Always brings me joy to see Canada mentioned in a B1M video. Loving the content, guys!! 😁
I don't know how Fred Mills continues to _squeeze_ his way into obtaining such important and confidential details about construction and government plans
really really good! loved the details and commentary, all the video clips used were great as well. the ending summarizing the importance of this really was the cherry. NICE!
"NO YOU CANT BUILD A BRIDGE! NO ONE OTHER THAN *ME* AND MY BRIDGE ALLOWED TO EXISTS!!"
Literally everyone else: "Heh.. hold our cement."
As another commenter pointed out: just think how overdue this bridge is, and how many years (decades even!) this crook has been allowed to have a monopoly on such a vital transport link!
@@mikespearwood3914 tbh he should be damn happy the governments of US and Canada are just building a bridge, And not just using methods available to governments to just take his away.
This bridge is a long time coming. Can’t wait to see it completed. It’s going to beautiful and further solidify our friendship with Canada. 🇨🇦🇺🇸
yeah itnwas on thin ice before... dafuq
Now they just beed to get rid of all import duty in Canada
This video is just another reason why I just love this channel! Fascinating stuff, and a lot of new information for me, as I had not heard anything about this bridge before.
I knew exactly which bridge this would be from the title, and the whole story
I like how they started at the base of the tower and worked their way up. That's smart thinking!
There are times where your narration alone makes me wish I could hit the like button multiple times.
lol, why?
@@mikespearwood3914 for not only giving context and depth of information he's giving out, but with the humor and puns that are sprinkled in this tasty morsel from this channel.
As someone who grew up in Windsor, right near the Ambassador bridge, one additional motivator for this bridge's construction is public health. There is a cancer cluster near the road leading to the Canadian side of the bridge, which many believe is due to the stopped traffic (which is mostly tractor trailers). The whole Canadian side now has a huge sunken highway entrance leading to the new span, and green parkway surrounding it.
Cancer from what, exhaust fumes?
Well obviously diesel particulate matter
@@mikespearwood3914 breathing exhaust fumes isn’t good for you.
@@mikespearwood3914 I'm no expert myself, but the federal government believes that exhaust can cause lung cancer.
Yet another awesome point that's 💯 spot on . I remember that as well ,especially when traffic was stuck on the bridge you could see an smell the cloud of emissions ( especially in inclement weather) that would eventually settle on one side or the other. Not to mention the countless & virtually never ending idling trucks at either Duty Free Center . A huge mess all the way around.
I'm a Canadian trucker and I always cross at the Blue Water Bridge, that goes from Port Huron, MI, to Sarnia, ON. It also has a toll on it, but it's almost always clear.
Hats off to the newspaper writer who went with "A Bridge Too Near". Excellent work.
Cool to see another bridge in Michigan, but nothing will beat the Mackinac Bridge
When you used examples for suspension bridges you should have use the Mackinaw Bridge because of its connection to the state.
Or at least to upperland!!
That billionaire complaining about another bridge being built but not taking the initiative to expand his existing bridge is hilarious 😂
You know that it is having over capacity issue and becoming bottleneck. Then use your money to built a new one
Don’t forget the repairs needed for that rickety, rusting, cracking, shaking bridge!!! It’s gonna collapse one day!! For real!
What? Spend his own money? Bite your tongue. He wanted both countries (ie: taxpayers in Michigan and Ontario) to foot the bill.
Glad he's dead. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Fun fact: That ballot measure that he pushed to block the Gordie Howe bridge? If it had passed, literally every bridge that would be built in Michigan going forward would have to be approved by public referendum.
Glad that ranger cleaned up the environment. Good work sir.
I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and i drive by this project often and its amazing to watch a bridge being built. The support pillars leading to the Canadian tower are being poured and set up right now. The bridge towers are already visible from different vantage points from the city and county. Everything about this bridge and the new highway leading to it have taken longer than expected, but now it's starting to come together. Very cool to see!
Yes 👏 I’m happy we’re seeing a video on here of Detroit. I’d love to see one on the Hudson site when it’s a little more complete
I want to see them talk about the failures of the district detroit too 👀
@@georgewhite8118 that’s not really on brand for them
@@quransunsolicitedopinion5708 that’s true, I meant more they could talk about the arena and then as a side note the district Detroit, alternatively Michigan central station could be a good video, or really any of the restorations like David Stott
The pure, unfiltered greed of this man. Imagine being this stinkin´ rich, you have maybe 15-20 years left on this planet and all you care about is making even more of a fortune at the cost of everyone else. Thats all thats on your mind and you would do anything for it. One could almost feel sad for such a sad piece of shit. Almost.
Anything, which includes bribing the legislators (in the US it's called free speech and campaign contributions) and corrupting the process for generations.
He has negative years left on the planet, he died in 2020
@@ericburton5163 I think he meant from the time he started blocking the new bridge, he had 15-20 yrs
he didn't even have 10 years left ...
good that he dies, because it blocks the future.
I just don't understand why the owners of large corporations allowed to block the construction of a new bridge, because everyone was losing out on it
because of the monopoly on the ambassador bridge
A new international cable-stayed bridge is under construction on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, it is called the Integration Bridge. It should improve traffic on the Friendship Bridge, the existing link between Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay).
Cool, they should do a video on it.
I`m from Windsor, And I hope that this bridge will work out well.
As someone who lives in Michigan, I knew it was about Detroit from the title alone.
Same here as a Windsorite, saw the title and knew the billionaire was Matty.
$45 to cross a bridge... id rather swim lol
Could you imagine being 6 inches off so the bridge doesn't line up. Talk about a bad day
You mean like this one: In Laufenburg, the swiss an german built a bridge over the rhine. Pitty only, that the german "sea level" is defined differently in Germany (north sea) and Switzerland (mediterranean sea). Actually, they even thought about that 27cm difference. Just messed up which one. So they ended up with a 54cm difference. Ups
@@aurelspecker6740 But they actually realized their mistake in time and it was still early enough to fix it without additional cost, if I remember it correctly.
@@IgorRockt Very possibly, I just remember it happening and looked up news stories to verify my brain. Didn't read the whole story again.
I think that story had a huge positive impact though. It was more effective than any class, to teach that "sea level" is not a universally agreed on norm. ;)
Please name one bridge ever built from two side at the same time that wasn’t out in some way. It’s kind of engineered in for correction. Remember the earth is moving!
@@lincolnlawyer9704 did I say it has happened? No. stop assuming something Imd8dnt say. Lots of errors do happen in bridge construction
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Billionaires who treat the world as their back year need to be put in jail. Nobody should have control over such a large amount of capital.
Great video! Only questionable part was the Pun at the end!😂
It should be illegal for billionaires to have that much power its ridiculous
It should just be illegal for billionaires to be billionaires. There should be some kind of wallet system that caps out after so many 9s, and everything beyond that is automatically earmarked to public works projects or housing or something.
@@zackakai5173 agreed
Just the free Market isn't it, he overcharged because he's greedy, so a new bridge was built, but because as with most billionaires it's "free market" for everyone else, but subsidies i.e. government welfare, anti-competition and monopolies for thee, he tried to block it like the petulant child he is.
If you want a laugh check out his wiki page, how it tries to pretend it was hard work that got him billions and not his parents, he goes from manning petrol pumps at his dads "tiny" firm and polishing a bus, and literally the next paragraph, he suddenly has enough to be buy a $13 billion bridge i.e. his dad gave him the money. As always it's to justify and pretend like you could do it too if you just pumped gas, you could be a billionaire nonsense.
Not only is it 45$ for trucks, I was just there working on this project, and for passenger vehicles to go across, it's 6$USD or 8$CAD AND the bridge is down to one lane in each direction right now for half of the journey across... AND some of the toll booths don't work...
Oh and if you want a laugh read his wiki page, as always with really rich people it tries it's hardest to pretend they actually worked for their money, he was just working at his dads "tiny", "family firm" he even cleaned a bus once and manned petrol pumps, all this hard work payed off and suddenly he can buy a $13 billion bridge... I.e. his dad was a multi millionaire possibly, billionaire and gave his son the money. But we have to pretend like he earned it and you can to if you work hard enough...
@@ElevatedEyes2023 that's awful
This country never had a free market. Read up on US gov't subsidizing the competition of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Getting anything from the government isn’t free market, so it always bothers me when people act like what any of these people in corporations or governments are enacting free market economies.
Manuel Moroun died on July 2020. So he succeeded in blocking this new bridge construction through his lifetime.
the B1M, one of the highest quality channels on TH-cam! This cable stayed bridge will be quite impressive when completed.
I can finally buy Fred's mug on a mug.
It might've been worth mentioning that Moroun died nearly 2 years ago. The new bridge was going to go forward anyways but his death may have prevented further legal battles.
🥳
good riddence. im glad he finally fucked off.
Legal battles were all exhausted before he died.
The graphics do indicate his death. Just not the narration
I love the fred mills face mug. It brings Joy to my loneliness live.
3:05 I don’t know why but I think that bald eagle mural is really cool.
Respect to the people that have to build that shit i could never, thats some serious labour
We have a new cable stay bridge in the Vancouver Lower Mainland area that crosses the Fraser River. We had a massive problem of ice forming on the cables and massive chunks falling down on the vehicles below. I wonder if they solved that problem in the initial design for this one?
My company was asked to look into a possible solution. They are looking to heat the cables under ice conditions to prevent significant ice formation.
So one greedy billionaire managed to delay the construction of this bridge for two decades, wonderful. Put him in prison.
Nevermind, he's dead now; take his estate and put it all into funding this new bridge instead.
He's dead now, and not much was lost
sir, he's dead.
the threat is long gone
Everyone in Detroit knows Manny Maroun for pulling crap like this haha. Knew this bridge would be the subject for the video when I saw the title.
The narrator never mentions that there is also a Detroit- Windsor tunnel for automobiles and another for rail cars traffic. This tunnel is very old and newer double stack rail cars cannot pass through. An hour north of Detroit is the Port Huron to Sarnia Bluewater Bridge which is a twin bridges for traffic and more important than all of these is the CN tunnel which double stack rail cars can move through. I love the fact that they name the bridge after Gordie Howe. A much loved hockey great. Loved and respected on both sides of border. Got his autograph as a kid and is still one of my most cherished items.
i think the biggest success of this channel is how it managed to get me, a european, not-at-all-into-any-construction-connected individual, interested in new bridge being built between Canada and US.
Anyone looking at a map can see that the ambassador bridge was not built with volume in mind on the Canadian side. A bridge that busy just landing in the residential area with no highway males no sense.
it actually goes straight into a dense commercial area, there's kind of a highway (3 lanes both ways) but there's like 10 sets of streetlights before it connects up with the national highway system proper. That road gets backed up all the time sometimes several kilometres. SO happy the new bridge is just connecting straight up to the 401 and going around the bulk of the city, should relieve truck traffic in the city itself immensely and speed up border crossings for normal people. (and will give that poor road some mercy, government has to repave it like every 4 years from all the heavy traffic it sees)
any video on the new bridge that just completed in Turkey coming anytime soon?
Ooooo it's in edit RIGHT NOW!!
@@TheB1M Excellent!!!! Can't wait to see it . Ty for the speedy reply .
that HAS just BEEN completed.
Old billionaire worried about money he will never get to spend.
The new Gordie Howe hat trick: a goal, an assist, a fight... and a bridge named after you.
This is an insanely cool project. I can't wait until it's finished.
Upgrading the railroad tunnels and running passenger trains would be better imo
I think both are necessary
So let me see if I understand this correctly, a guy was allowed to own a bridge, install toll booths to charge money for crossing the bridge as if he was little John from fu**ing Robin Hood while also providing a shit service and slow speed through it because "hey, it's better than swimming, my way or the waterway". And then tried to boycott the new bridge from being built.
I can't imagine what his childhood must have been like.
Actually his father owned two gas stations and he worked there when he was a kid and ended up taking over and became a billionaire from working his way up so hate the guy all you want you gotta give him credit for making himself a billionaire, if ya can’t beat the system join it
@@nicklight3290 Sure, he worked his way up into being lucky enough to be born in a family that owned gas stations in the richest most car-obsessed country in the world. Those poor leukemia kids need to toughen up and start making that ching-ching if they ever want to own a bridge.
@@Arch497 You sound mentally unstable. What in the world do children with leukemia have to do with this?
As a Canadian I have to say that I'm pretty tired of Hockey being the focus of every damn thing we do. There were hundreds of thousands of Veterans this bridge could have been named after. The name 'Sir Arthur Currie Bridge' comes to mind. Naming an international structure after a dude that put rubber into a net is absurd.
Perhaps they should have sold the naming rights for millions of dollars.
David Winter BooHoo baby!
Great job with this story. Many of us just love construction videos. I'm 78, but I hope to live long enough to see many more mega-projects completed. No. 1 or 2 in the whole world? The Strait of Messina bridge in Italy. Unfortunately the Sicilians (Italians?) don't want to lose some of their identity. May 23, 2022 Missouri, USA
I wonder whether they came up with solution to the cable icing problem that plagues the recently built cable stayed bridge in Toledo. Whenever there are icing conditions, ice forms on the cables, then falls to the roadway, smashing cars. The bridge is fully or partially closed whenever icing is present, diverting to the old lift bridge next to the new bridge. It is very fortunate that the old bridge was left in place, otherwise the traffic snarl would be even worse.