Capitol News

Andy Doctoroff, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's point person on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, recently spoke on the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast about a recent decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

In June, the appeals court upheld a lower court decision that rejected Detroit International Bridge Company’s challenge to the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) work with the Canadian government in building the bridge, according to the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast.

“This emphatic ruling means progress will continue on a project that is spurring growth and creating good-paying jobs in Detroit, Windsor and across the region,” Whitmer said, according to Talking Michigan Transportation.

MDOT Director of Media Relations Jeff Cranson asked Doctoroff for his views on what the ruling means for the bridge.

“It really is a significant ruling,” Doctoroff told Cranson. “It eliminates -- or comes close to eliminating -- one of the last major legal risks associated with the project.”

Doctoroff said that the case could still be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, so the fight might not be completely over, and he has no certainty one way or the other as to whether the court would be willing to hear such an appeal.

“I can say, Michigan has always had a lot of confidence in its legal positions here, and the court of appeals ruling today very emphatically supports our confidence in our positions," Doctoroff told Cranson.

While Cranson and Doctoroff acknowledged that there are six separate parts to the basis of the challenge by Detroit International Bridge Company, Cranson asked Doctoroff to attempt to generalize the overall argument.

Doctoroff said that his initial interpretation based on the most recent ruling was that the plaintiffs alleged MDOT lacked the right to use eminent domain powers for fair market value in this case.

“And the court said, ‘No, MDOT acted properly, Michigan acted properly, Michigan had a right to do what it did, and your arguments -- all of them -- lack merit’,” Doctoroff said on the podcast.