The courts are the great equalizer where all people are equal under the law, and Ambassador Bridge owner and Republican benefactor Matty Moroun found that out today when the Michigan Supreme Court denied his appeal in a case stemming from how Moroun built his portion of the $170 million Gateway Project that addressed long term congestion mitigation issues and provides direct access improvements between the Ambassador Bridge, I-75 and I-96.
Last February Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Prentice Edwards ordered him to tear down the illegally constructed gas pumps and duty-free store built on property owned by the city of Detroit.
Moroun, a Grosse Pointe billionaire, wants to maintain his monopoly of an international border crossing, and he has begun building a second span right next to the current one. Michigan officials were concerned that the bridge company was dragging their feet on the Gateway Project to endanger the project to kill the planned public-private bridge Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) about a mile from the current Ambassador Bridge. The project will also reconstruct I-96 and I-75, accommodate traffic for a potential future second span of the Ambassador Bridge, and access to the Mexicantown International Welcome Center.
Edwards ruled last spring that the bridge company had to appoint an overseer to proceed with the removal of the structures, which include a duty free shop, refueling stations and toll booths, according to the Detroit News. “Edwards later slapped a show cause hearing against the Bridge Company when it failed to meet his deadline, but the hearing was postponed when the Bridge Company took its appeal to the Supreme Court. “ It appears that the show cause hearing will now go forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment