Stabenow, Peters Welcome $25 Million Federal Grant to Improve, Expand Customs Operations at Blue Water Bridge

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Gary Peters (MI) today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) will provide a $25 million grant to support critical operations at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, which is one of the busiest trade crossings in the country. The funding will specifically help expand the customs plaza at the bridge that is responsible for facilitating a major portion of the over 300,000 people and $910 million in trade that cross the Northern Border every day, which represents the largest bilateral flow of goods and people in the world.

“As the nation’s third busiest U.S.-Canadian commercial border crossing, many don’t realize the critical role that the Blue Water Bridge plays in international trade and in supporting Michigan’s economy,” said Senator Stabenow. “Completion of this plaza is long overdue given this critical role and the significant sacrifices the local community has made over the years in support of our nation’s security and interests.”

“Funding for an expanded customs plaza to continue supporting trade is long overdue. I supported this application because the Blue Water Bridge is critical to our national security, international commerce and to St. Clair County’s economy,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “The Blue Water Bridge is one of our nation’s busiest ports of entry, and this funding is a major step towards completing this project. I’m going to continue pressing on the federal level to ensure we have the resources to complete the customs plaza expansion.”  

Peters has led numerous efforts to expand and support operations at the Blue Water Bridge. This past March, Peters pressed the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to commit to fully staffing the customs plaza at the bridge in order to better secure the movement of trade and prevent illegal drugs from entering the country. Peters also urged his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide additional funding for operations at the bridge.

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