A new bridge at North America's busiest border crossing could be built by a private partner, Canadian Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon told a Toronto public-private ventures conference on Nov. 20. He said the government will "explore" partnering with a private sector firm to design, build, finance and operate the Windsor-Detroit span. Noting that environmental assessment is under way, Cannon said it was too early to speculate on potential partners. The bi-national study will be completed next year. U.S. and Canadian governments would have to endorse a public-private partnership, says a Canadian transportation spokesperson. The project will include construction of Canadian and U.S. customs stations and road connections. Construction is set to start in 2010 at a site three miles below the Ambassador Bridge.