The owner and President of the Detroit Windsor Ferry wants the Ambassador Bridge to follow the law on hazardous goods.
The bridge company is suing the state of Michigan saying companies are forced to "pay a ransom" to the ferry company or drive 95-kilometres north to Port Huron to cross into Canada over the Blue Water Bridge.
The bridge wants the authority to transport hazardous materials.
Ferry President Greg Ward says the Ambassador Bridge should not be allowed to take dangerous materials across the span.
He says the bridge company has been told by the government not to transport these goods but the bridge company has an arrogant attitude that you can't tell them what to do on private property.
He says the danger to the economy of the region is too great to allow hazardous materials on the bridge: "it's not worth the risk to put this critical infrastructure at risk after the government has determined it's not safe for a few more trucks and a few more dollars in somebody's pocket"
Ward says the bridge has already taken action in spite of the regulations, giving favoured companies letters saying they could cross with hazardous material even though it was restricted by the routing restrictions.
Ward says the Gordie Howe Bridge may be authorized to take hazardous materials once it's built, but that decision hasn't been made yet.