port Huron, MI — The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $25 million for the building of the Blue Water Customs Plaza in Port Huron.
The area has waited for over a decade for the federal government to hold up their end of the deal. In the meantime, over 100 properties were demolished to prepare for the plaza, and the City of Port Huron’s $1 million mitigation deal has run out.
The project was originally planned to be a 60/40 split with the Michigan Department of Transportation picking up 40% of the cost. While the Blue Water Bridge is currently closed to non-essential traffic until July 21 due to the COVID-19 virus, it is still one of the busiest border crossings in the nation. Around 5 million vehicles go through Customs to cross the bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia yearly.
U.S. Congressman Paul Mitchell, representing Michigan’s 10th District, said, “With this announcement from the Trump Administration I am hopeful that after waiting more than 10 years this project can finally be built to benefit our economy, transportation systems, and national security.” The funding is part of the Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
