In a joint Canadian-American venture, the Gordie Howe Bridge will be built linking Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. Construction, slated to begin in the 2019-2020 timeframe, will involve multiple facets including land acquisition, demolition of existing buildings, bridge and roadway construction, and operation. Demolition, construction, and vehicular traffic using the bridge all have potential to cause an increase in the level of air pollution in nearby communities, including the Delray area of Detroit.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will conduct ambient air quality monitoring in Delray to ascertain air pollution levels in the community. This commenced in 2018 to provide an air quality baseline, and it will continue during construction to determine the effect of earth moving and home demolition equipment as well as during several years of operation to better understand the role that traffic plays in air quality. Parameters to be measured include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulates, lead, and black carbon (a component of diesel exhaust) as well as routine meteorological parameters (e.g., wind speed, wind direction and temperature).