Enbridge Energy will issue requests for proposals in the coming weeks for contractors to construct a $500-million Great Lakes Tunnel to carry crude oil and natural gas liquids through the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan and Ontario.
Ryan Duffy, a spokesman for the Calgary, Alberta-based multinational energy company, said the RFP process will take about six months.
The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority on Feb. 16 concurred with a staff recommendation that Enbridge meets all requirements specified in a 2018 agreement between the firm and the State of Michigan.
Duffy said the Great Lakes Tunnel will be a step forward in safety. “Placing the pipeline in a new Great Lakes Tunnel will provide extra layers of safety and environmental protection … while creating Michigan jobs and securing the energy consumers in Michigan and the region rely on every single day to live their lives and fuel the economy,” he said.