The owners of the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit are suing Governor Snyder and the Michigan Department of Transportation over the proposed new Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Former Attorney General Mike Cox is representing the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit claims only the state legislature is authorized to approve a new international bridge, and since the legislature didn't do so, the agreement between the Snyder administration and Canada (which is paying the entire cost) is illegal.
A spokeswoman for the governor says, "We disagree, and we are proceeding as planned."
The lawsuit is the latest in a long string of efforts by the Moroun family to stop the new bridge, including a failed statewide ballot proposal in 2012 that voters rejected by a wide margin.
The new bridge is expected to compete with the aging Ambassador Bridge and siphon a significant portion of its customs revenue. The lawsuit says the Ambassador Bridge will be forced to close as a result.
The Moroun enterprise has attempted to forestall the new bridge by pledging to build a new span, next to the existing Ambassador Bridge span. The pledge received support from Republican leaders in the Michigan legislature, but not from Governor Snyder and MDOT, who said it was a terrorism risk to have two spans next to each other.
But the Morouns' plan is also vehemently opposed by most people who live in Windsor, because it would dump even more traffic onto already congested roads in the city. The Morouns are also despised by some residents because they purchased properties in some neighborhoods near the site of the proposed second span and allowed them to fall into disrepair.
The bridge couldn't be built without permits from the city, from the province of Ontario, and from Canada, and that appears highly unlikely.
