US - Canada Bridge Reopened After Protesting Truckers Shut Down Traffic For A Day
Police in Canada announced that one of the busiest bridges between the U.S. and Canada was reopened Tuesday after being blocked by protesting truckers for nearly a day.
Canadian truckers who gathered to protest against the national government’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate and other restrictions have kept up their demonstrations despite pressure to disperse from law enforcement and government leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Emerging from his own COVID-19 quarantine, Trudeau vowed to bring an end to a trucker protest still paralyzing the Canadian capital.
"It has to stop," Trudeau told the Canadian House of Commons on Monday evening.
The Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and the Canadian city of Windsor sees 40,000 commuters, tourists and truck drivers carrying $323 million worth of goods daily, according to the bridge’s website. Videos were posted on social media that showed trucks on both sides of the bridge lined up in a traffic jam after the truckers refused to disperse.
The Michigan Department of Transportation tweeted at 8:50 p.m. local time on Monday that the bridge was closed. By early Tuesday, Canadian authorities announced that their side of the border was reopened for traffic at 1 p.m. at the Port Huron crossing.
As two of some of the world’s largest trade partners, the U.S. and Canada see large trade volumes take place every day. At a time of supply chain problems, some commercial associations are warning that the protests can make this situation worse.
Any delay or disruption in the supply chain creates problems, not just for agriculture but the state economy," said Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, in an interview with the Detroit News.
"We encourage the appropriate officials to take prompt action to alleviate the situation as quickly as possible in a manner that reflects mutual respect," Matt Moroun, chairman of the Detroit International Bridge Company which owns the Ambassador Bridge, said Tuesday in a statement to Detroit News.
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