Governor Rick Snyder is expected, in the next two weeks, to submit a new bill to the Michigan legislature authorizing construction of the new Detroit-Windsor bridge, now called the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) in Lansing.

One of the most significant changes between Snyder’s NITC proposal and the DRIC bill that died in the state Senate last year is the removal of MDOT from the process. A special authority established to govern the bridge replaces the state agency in the legislation. According to Crain’s Detroit’s Bill Shea, shifting control away from MDOT is seen as an effort to win support among GOP lawmakers.

Of course, the biggest NITC carrot for skeptical lawmakers remains Snyder’s deal with the federal government allowing Michigan to leverage federal matching road funds from the $550 million Canada will spend on Michigan's portion of the project.

Canadian officials say

and have no time line for repayment.