Date:  Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Contact: Bill Lesh, Public Affairs Manager - 503-326-2306
U.S. General Services Administration

Blaine, WA – Southbound traffic from Canada will be facing a new detour at the Peace Arch Border Station beginning Tuesday, August 5. All southbound traffic will be directed off the freeway at the D Street Exit 276 to Blaine as they leave the border station. From there, travelers can cross D Street and return to the freeway southbound or they can proceed south on SR 548 through Blaine on Peace Portal Drive and reenter the freeway, south of the City (I-5 Exit 274.)


Yellow - Closed to build a new I-5 bridge.
Blue - Northbound traffic switched to the southbound I-5 lanes.
Red - Southbound traffic exits at D Street and then merges on I-5. 

During the two week construction of the northbound detour, one southbound lane of I-5 will be opened weekends. The lane will be available between noon Friday August 8 and 6 a.m. Monday August 11. The single southbound lane will again be available Friday August 15 to Monday morning August 18.

Beginning Monday August 18, all southbound I-5 traffic will exit at D Street (Exit 276). All northbound I-5 traffic will detour through the east side of the existing border station. The D Street (Exit 276) will remain open, but there will be no northbound access to I-5 from D Street (Exit 276). Instead, northbound motorists will be detoured east on D Street to SR 543 (Truck Route) and then north to the Pacific Highway Border Crossing to Canada.

There will be two lanes through the northbound detour, one general purpose and one nexus. All over height vehicles will need to remain in the left (general purpose) lane through the detour. The detour will end just north of the existing port building where it will rejoin I-5 and widen to three lanes. These traffic changes remain in place until the construction of the new I-5 North bridge and highway are completed in early fall of 2009.

There will continue to be three general purpose primary inspection booths and one Nexus booth available at the Peace Arch Border Station. This is the same number of booths normally staffed at Peace Arch during non peak travel times.

Leaving the primary inspection area, southbound drivers will need to be cautious as there will be road work in progress. There will be flaggers to aid in traffic flow.

Drivers are urged to check border cameras and wait times before traveling, available on the Canadian Border Services Agency http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html and Washington State Department of Transportation web sites www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/. Travelers should consider crossing at other nearby border stations including Pacific Highway, Lynden or Sumas.

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