Date:
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Contact:
Bill Lesh, GSA Public Affairs Manager - (503) 326-2306
BLAINE - The General Services Administration (GSA) has started construction at the I-5, Peace Arch border station in Blaine. Crews will completely rebuild the border station to expand border security, traffic capacity and improve safety for employees and travelers. The project is scheduled to be completed January 2010.
The project will begin affecting southbound travelers from Canada on Monday, Nov. 5. At that time, the existing port’s west side U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) primary inspection booths will be closed and travelers will be shifted to the east side booths. There will be four primary inspection booths available (three general and one NEXUS). This will allow utility work to take place on the west side. This shift is anticipated to last approximately 45 days. Then the east side inspection booths will be closed and the west side reopened, in mid December.
After southbound traffic has been redirected to the port’s west side, traffic on northbound I-5 will be detoured in January, 2008, to the existing lanes on the port’s east side. During the detour period, estimated to be about 18 months, a new bridge for northbound I-5 lanes will be constructed in place of the existing I-5 configuration. In addition, construction of much of the new border station itself will take place.
GSA is partnering with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Customs and Border Protection and the city of Blaine to communicate information with drivers during this construction project. Information will be available to the traveling public through WSDOT Web pages:
CBP also maintains a border wait time web site - http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt.
Interested parties can sign up for Whatcom County e-mail updates at www.wsdot.wa.gov/northwest/emailupdates.
Messages will also be provided on highway advisory radios and the 511 traveler information phone system.
Attachments to this release include a map showing alternative border crossings in the Blaine area. Travelers are urged to use one of the alternates if the WSDOT or CBP web sites shows traffic backups.
The attachments also show the traffic rerouting through the entire project. Current applicable dates are:
- Phase 1A: Nov. 5 - Dec. 11, 2007
- Phase 1B/2A: Dec. 11 - early January, 2008
- Phase 2B/3: Early January, 2008 through road and bridge construction, approximately 18 months.
Announcements of the dates for phases 4 and 5 will be made in the future.
Please note that when lanes are mentioned, it refers to driving lanes approaching or leaving the border station or passing north on I-5. Booths refer to the CBP border station primary inspection areas.
Additional Contacts:
Washington State Department of Transportation
Dustin Terpening
Communications
360-757-5997
Terpenid@wsdot.wa.gov
Customs and Border Protection
U. S. Customs and Border Protection
Mike Milne, Public Affairs Officer, Seattle
206-553-6944 x614
mike.milne@dhs.gov
Customs and Border Protection
Willie Hicks, Public Affairs Officer, Blaine
360-322-2652
Willie.hicks@dhs.gov
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