Canada urges U.S. to pay $250M share for Detroit-Windsor bridge

The Canadian government is urging the Obama administration to pay for its share of the costs for building a customs plaza on the U.S. side of a planned bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, says Transport Minister Lisa Raitt.

Canada has been working under the assumption the U.S. would pay $250 million to build the customs plaza, a key link to the Detroit-Windsor bridge, but a lack of money allocated in the U.S. federal budget in March has sent a signal that funding for the project could be at risk...

...While Raitt did not rule out the option [of Canadian tax payers covering the full cost], she did say that Canada will continue to urge the U.S. government to fund its share of the border inspection plaza...

Canada has pledged to pay $1 billion for the bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, which is expected to open in 2020. Last month, Ottawa budgeted $630 million for the construction of the bridge...

CBC News asked Raitt's office at what point Canada would become responsible for the financing of the U.S. federal plaza if the U.S. doesn't live up to its financing commitment.

A response from her office said Canada has budgeted for its share of the project, but did not address how the Canadian government would budget for a possible $250 million shortfall...

This has been excerpted from 2 April 2014 article by the CBC News, and is available in its entirety at http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-urges-u-s-to-pay-250m-share-for-detroit-windsor-bridge-1.2595700.