/ Photo illustration by Daniel Mears & Tim Summers / The Detroit News
LANSING -- Michigan will have another bridge linking the state to neighboring Canada.
Gov. Rick Snyder says the project will create thousands of jobs for Michigan residents.
Connecting Michigan and Canada is among ideas Snyder talked about when he was first elected governor.
The new bridge will be called the New International Trade Bridge and will be operated by a private entity called The Crossing Authority.
The estimated cost of the bridge will be $2.1 billion.
In Lansing, Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger says the state Legislature plans to closely review the agreement being announced to build the Canadian-financed bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
The Republican said in a statement Friday that it appears that Gov. Rick Snyder has been able to plan a new bridge while addressing the Legislature's "chief concern of protecting taxpayers."
The Michigan House voted Thursday to prohibit using state money to build another bridge across the Detroit River.
The House passed the supplemental budget bill, with the bridge language inserted by Grandville Republican Rep. Dave Agema. He says neither the Republican governor nor anybody else can spend money lawmakers haven't authorized.
Snyder's office says Michigan taxpayers' money won't be used for the project.
