On the heels of endorsement by Governor Rick Snyder during his first State of the State Address, the initiative to build a new international bridge aross the Detroit River into Canada continued to build momentum this week. The Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) bridge may even get a new name, if Governor Snyder has his wish; he stated this week that all involved need to differentiate between last year’s failed proposal and the reinvented initiative.

Legislation, House Bill 4131 and Senate Bill 66, have been introduced by Representative Douglas Geiss (D-Taylor) and Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor), both of whom represent downriver Detroit communities that stand to benefit from the proposed project. Furthermore, the House and Senate Transportation committee chairs, Representative Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt) and Senator Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba), have been discussing how to handle the debate and are considering joint hearings on the topic.

The project has also won support from leaders of Michigan’s agricultural industry through a coalition including the Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, the Michigan Milk Producers Association, the Michigan Agri-Business Association, the Potato Growers of Michigan and GreenStone Farm Credit Services. All four living former Michigan Governors have indicated their support for the project, as well.