THE WINDSOR-DETROIT

TRADEWAY PROJECT
 What is the DRTP…
Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (DRTP)
• A Canadian company owned by Canadian Pacific Railway and
Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust.
• Owner/operator of the existing twin tube rail tunnel handling
400,000 rail cars annually.
• Planners, developers and operators for future truck-rail
infrastructure through the Windsor-Detroit corridor.

Owned by…
Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust (BTIT)
• A wholly owned subsidiary of Ontario Municipal Employees
Retirement System (OMERS)
• One of Canada’s largest pension plans with nearly $34 billion
in assets.
• Long-term infrastructure investments on behalf of OMERS
include: educational and healthcare facilities, municipal utilities
and the rail tunnel.

Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)

• One of the six North American Class I railways.
• 14,000 mile network serving the principal centres of Canada, from
Montreal to Vancouver, as well as the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.
• Links North America with Europe and the Pacific Rim.

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 THE TRADEWAY Project Is ™

The Border Crossing Solution Providing:

• Construction of a new high-clearance • Safe, secure pre-clearance customs facilities.
rail tunnel open to all rail users.

• Conversion of existing twin tube rail tunnel into • An alternative trade route and crossing fully
state-of-the-art two lane dedicated truckway. operational by 2007

• Construction of a segregated two lane truckway

from Highway 401 to I-75.

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 Preliminary Route
Alignment for
THE TRADEWAY ™

• New high clearance rail tunnel

• New high-security crossing.
• Shortest new truck-only route
between Windsor and Detroit.
• Uses existing rail corridor.
• Least intrusive on community.
• Fully operational in 5 years.

Direct Connection

New grade separation

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 THE TRADEWAY ™
Is The Route For Efficient Trade Flow.

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 THE TRADEWAY Project ™

Addresses Gateway Issues in Shortest Timeframe:

• Alternate border crossing for trucks would improve
security at the border by segregating traffic and
providing a back-up route;
• The Ambassador Bridge has but two lanes, one in each
direction, for trucks at this critical trade bottleneck;
• Greatest commercial road gateway in North America is
congested and traffic continues to build;
• Current Canada-US-Ontario-Michigan Border
Transportation Review looking at 30 year horizon;
need for capacity improvements before this time;
• The TradeWay alternative trade route and
crossing can be fully operational by 2007

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 THE TRADEWAY Advantage: ™

• Low environmental impact • Provides a new rail tunnel in Detroit/Windsor

•
Uses existing heavy transportation corridor. •
Only option that also increases rail capacity in corridor.
•
Optimizes major crossing infrastructure.
• Trade Security/Key Infrastructure Security
• Speed of implementation •
Provides alternate trade route in event of
•
Project can be completed by early 2007. service interruption at other crossings.
•
Preliminary design has been completed.
• Focuses on commercial traffic
•
Protects and stimulates Ontario/Michigan economic growth.
• Cost effectiveness
•
3-1 leveraging of private investments for • Completely secure route
public benefits. •
Separate from general traffic.

THE TRADEWAY will provide a direct link from Hwy. 401 to Interstate 75.

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 The Government Context:
• Twenty Five percent of Canada’s trade with the • Local criticism in Windsor of JMC report has
U.S. crosses at this border point. lead to hardened local positioning, suggesting
no proposal will ever be “acceptable”;
• 2001 Federal Budget commitment of $600 Million
under the Border Infrastructure Fund • Currently, options are being reconsidered by the senior
governments, six months after the Prime Minister and
• One year after 9/11 little had been done Premier’s announcement.
regarding the gateway’s infrastructure needs;
• September 2002 the Prime Minister and Premier
Eves announce $300 Million MOU for Windsor
gateway “short term” improvements.

• Canada-Ontario Joint Management Committee

November 2002 Report recommended
comprehensive approach, including the DRTP
alternative crossing;

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 The Need to Move Forward Now:
• Commercial traffic will continue to increase and • We believe that the least environmentally intrusive,
existing bottlenecks worsen, threatening economic quickest, most secure, least publicly costly option is
prosperity and creating greater local impacts; the DRTP proposal;

• Some substantive interim solutions are needed • The senior governments now need to move forward with
quickly to mitigate growing quality of life issues the JMC comprehensive plan for delivering interim
while protecting the Canada – US trade relief at the gateway while the long-term review
relationship; continues;

• The $300 Million earmarked for Windsor

recognized these realities and provides an
excellent opportunity to address immediate needs
while planning for long term solutions continues;

• It is time to recognize the importance of quality of

life issues, but not to be paralyzed by them, to
everyone’s detriment;