The Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a tolled suspension bridge across the Detroit River that connects Detroit, Michigan, United States, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume, carrying more than 25% of all merchandise trade between the United States and Canada. A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study showed that 150,000 jobs in the region and US$13 billion in annual production depend on the Detroit–Windsor international border crossing.
The bridge is owned by Grosse Pointe billionaire Manuel Moroun through the Detroit International Bridge Company in the United States[4] and the Canadian Transit Company in Canada. In 1979, when the previous owners put it on the New York Stock Exchange and shares were traded, Moroun was able to buy shares, eventually acquiring the bridge. The bridge carries 60 to 70 percent of commercial truck traffic in the region. Moroun also owns the Ammex Detroit Duty Free Stores at both the bridge and the tunnel.
The Ambassador Bridge |
Coordinates | 42.312°N 83.074°WCoordinates: 42.312°N 83.074°W |
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Carries | 4 undivided lanes of LECT connecting to Highway 3 in Canada and I-75 / I-96 in the United States |
Crosses | Detroit River |
Locale | Detroit–Windsor |
Official name | Ambassador International Bridge |
Maintained by | Detroit International Bridge Company and Canadian Transit Company |
Characteristics | |
Design | Suspension bridge |
Total length | 7,500 feet (2,300 m) |
Longest span | 1,850 feet (560 m) |
Clearance below | 152 feet (46 m) |
History | |
Constructed by | McClintic Marshall Steel Company |
Construction start | August 16, 1927 |
Construction end | November 6, 1929 |
Opened | November 15, 1929 |
Statistics | |
Daily traffic | 10,000+ trucks per day, 4,000+ autos per day |
Toll | US$5.00 / CA$6.25 |