(WXYZ) — Matt Moroun is urging the Canadian government to take action and end the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, now on the fourth day of being closed. Moroun is the chairman of the Detroit International Bridge Company and the owner of the Ambassador Bridge.
In a statement, Moroun set out three different options for the Canadian government to use to reopen the bridge: repeal the vaccine mandate, remove the vehicles blocking the bridge, or do nothing.
Related: Ambassador Bridge blockade: Windsor mayor seeks injunction remove protestors
"This cannot continue any longer. On behalf of all those whose jobs and livelihoods depend on the goods that cross this bridge, I ask the Canadian government to take action and end the blockade," Moroun said in a statement.
The first option is to repeal the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which is for truck drivers coming into the country.
Related: Parts shortage from Ambassador Bridge closure temporarily halts shifts some auto plants
"End the protest by repealing the mandate and recognizing that while the vast majority of truck drivers are vaccinated, there are some who for many reasons are choosing not to get vaccinated but deserve to be respected and allowed to do their jobs and serve our countries with dignity," Moroun wrote.
Doing nothing and hoping it ends on its own, Moroun said, would "most likely prolong the blockade, further crippling our economy and putting more jobs at risk."
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest border crossing between the United States and Canada, carrying $400 million in goods across it each day.
On Thursday afternoon, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he is seeking an injunction to begin removing protestors who have been blocking the Ambassador Bridge for the past several days.
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Dilkens said he is hoping for a peaceful resolution, but the truckers and other protestors blocking the bridge are trespassing and will be removed if they have to reopen the bridge.
On Monday, the Freedom Convoy, a group of truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions in Canada, blocked traffic from coming and going on the bridge. It later opened up to US-bound traffic only. Dilkens said the protest has turned into an anti-government protest.
Those trucks that can't get across the bridge are being re-routed to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, which has been causing long backups for commercial vehicles over the course of the last few days.
Dilkens also said in the press conference that the State of Michigan and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have offered to help provide equipment to tow the vehicles, people for security and more.
On Thursday morning, Whitmer released a statement urging Canada to get the bridge back open.
“My message is simple: reopen traffic on the bridge," Whitmer said in a press release. “In Michigan, our economy continues to grow because of our hardworking people and innovative small businesses. Now, that momentum is at risk. Commercial traffic is at a standstill at the Ambassador Bridge and heavily backed up at the Blue Water Bridge."
