LANSING – Officials in the administration of Governor Rick Snyder said they had nothing to say about a report the governor may designate the Michigan Strategic Fund as the agency to coordinate with Canada on development of a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

According to the report in Crain’s Detroit Business, the Strategic Fund, which together with local economic development organizations signed an interlocal agreement in 1999 to form the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, would be the agency coordinating with Canadian officials under an interlocal agreement. But a spokesperson for Snyder would not say if a decision to use an interlocal agreement as the legal vehicle to proceed with the bridge had even been made.

“When we have something to report, we will report it,” said Ken Silfven.

The administration did say Lt. Governor Brian Calley is to participate on a panel on the proposed bridge, called by the administration the New International Trade Crossing, for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority on Tuesday. But Calley is not expected to make any announcements at the panel.

It was reported by Crain’s that Snyder had decided to designate the Strategic Fund as the governmental authority to participate in the interlocal agreement to oversee construction of the bridge.

However sources within the MEDC – the two organizations are interwoven, such as having MEDC CEO Michael Finney also serve as the president and chairman of the Strategic Fund – said they had heard nothing about the agency taking on that role.

In recent weeks, reporting and speculation about a bridge agreement has been heating up following Snyder coming to Windsor to meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, and the Canadian Transport Minister.

Last week, the Windsor Star reported that an announcement on the bridge could be made by June 15.

Reports also have been made that a disagreement on the source of steel and other materials for the bridge may be one of the major remaining holdups to an agreement on proceeding. An official in Snyder’s administration said discussions were continuing on the source of materials.

But Silfven said officials are not yet to the point of announcing anything on the proposal to build the new bridge, which would be two miles south of the Ambassador Bridge.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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