Housing

The Bridge Debate That Ruined a Neighborhood

Sandwich—located in the west end of Windsor—has suffered from a Detroit trucking magnate’s vision neither U.S. nor Canadian officials support.
Rachel Cribby

Cars, trucks, and about $500 million worth of goods pass between Detroit and Windsor using the Ambassador Bridge daily. It’s the only overland crossing connecting the United States with Canada along the Detroit River, but its owner is making things hard for one particular neighborhood standing in the way of his vision for the border’s future.

Matty Moroun has a net worth of about $1.5 billion from his trucking, shipping, and real estate endeavors. Discussions around the replacement of his Ambassador Bridge have been lengthy and combative over concerns that the 89-year-old structure can’t handle the predicted 4.3 percent annual increase in border traffic through 2035.