I am very pleased to be here today in Windsor with my colleague, the Honourable Herb Gray, Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Windsor West, and our distinguished guests, Director Rosine, Minister Clark, and Mr. Jim Steele from the United States Federal Highway Administration. Let me start by saying that strengthening the Windsor-Detroit gateway is the most urgent surface transportation issue in Canada. This gateway carries nearly one-quarter of the total traffic volume crossing the border between Canada and the United States. Over 75,000 vehicles use these border crossings each day. We will be taking a strategic approach to these highway initiatives.
Transportation remains a key element in achieving prosperity and economic growth.
The Windsor-Detroit crossings are among the world s busiest and a direct conduit for southern Ontario production to the states in the Great Lakes region. The Ambassador Bridge is the nation s major truck crossing. The connecting links to the Windsor-Detroit border are nearing capacity. We need to act now for the future. That is why I am pleased to announce that the governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michigan are taking the first important step in dealing with this challenge by commissioning a study to assess the existing transportation network and long-range transportation needs in southeast Michigan and southwest Ontario.