The fate of Enbridge’s Line 5 has finally been decided. The State of Michigan has reached an agreement to build a tunnel underneath the oil and gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
The plan is to remove the 65-year-old Straits section of the pipeline and build a four-mile tunnel and new pipeline section beneath the lakebed of the Straits. According to the agreement, this will “essentially eliminate the risk of adverse impacts that may result from a potential oil spill in the Straits.”
The project will cost between $350 million to $500 million and is expected to take seven to 10 years to complete. Enbridge will pay for its design, construction, operation and maintenance for up to 99 years. Enbridge and the Mackinac Bridge Authority need to agree on the plan before construction begins.
