The
companies behind a $400-million proposal to
build a second Detroit River rail tunnel have
issued a pre-bid notice — a call for companies
to prove qualifications — to conduct the
environmental assessment for the project.
Borealis Infrastructure and CP Rail, co-owners
of the 100-year-old Windsor-Detroit rail tunnel,
plan to build an adjacent tunnel to accommodate
larger double-stacked railway cars and possibly
high-speed cross-border passenger service.
The notice moves the project another step closer
to reality.
“This is very good news,” said Coun. Bill Marra,
one of city council's biggest supporters for the
rail tunnel project. “The community might
underestimate the significance around the
pre-bid notice. But it indicates they have their
financial requirements in a row and are looking
at proceeding.”
Officials overseeing the rail tunnel project
could not be reached by The Star on Monday.
CP Rail has relied on the existing tunnel for
most of its freight needs, but also pays a user
fee for the larger Sarnia-Port Huron rail tunnel
owned by competitor CN Rail to transport its
larger rail cars. That tunnel was constructed in
the mid-1990s.
Plans to convert the old rail tunnel for truck
traffic under the original plan died several
years ago following strong community resistance
in Windsor.
The notice appeared on the Windsor Construction
Association’s website and indicated final scope
of work for the project will be released
sometime early this year.
Schedules for detailed design, tenders and
construction remain undetermined pending
completion and approval of the environmental
assessment, according to the notice.
The EA for the project would take one or two
years. Last fall, the Detroit chamber of
commerce said it hoped construction could begin
in about two years.
The proponents CP and Borealis are continuing to
lobby various governments on both sides of the
border for funding to support construction
costs.
Marra described the environmental assessment
notice “a good signal” for the community.
The impact of hundreds of construction jobs to
build the tunnel will provide a short-term
economic boost to the city, while spinoff jobs
from the addition of an improved freight link
across the Detroit River has the potential to
significantly increase local investment over the
long-term, he said.
Improving the movement of rail freight also
improves the chances to remove more trucks off
local streets.
“It’s a win-win situation,” he said. “Everyone
on our side of the border really has to get
behind this to ensure construction can begin as
quickly as possible.”
Mar 5, 2010
