ezbordercrossing

Guide to Crossing the US Canada Border

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Flooding Update

The Neche / Gretna border crossing between North Dakota and Manitoba was reopened today and has resumed normal 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours of operation.  The port had been closed for about a week due to roads flooded by the Pembina River.

Although flooding is decreasing in most areas, it will take more time for a complete return to normalcy.   In Manitoba, there are still over 50 provincial roads and 600 municipal roads  closed due to flooding.  There are also road closures throughout North Dakota.

Although there have not been many problems in Vermont, the flood watch is on due to a chance of strong thunderstorms and heavy rain in the coming days.

You can check on weather and road conditions at all U.S. / Canadian border crossings at ezbordercrossing.com.

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Flooding in Manitoba and North Dakota

Flooding continues to impact numerous roads and border crossings along the U.S. Canadian border in Manitoba and North Dakota.  A Flood Bulletin issued in Manitoba on Tuesday, April 19th, stated that 55 provincial roads and 500 municipal roads were closed due to high water.  A Manitoba resident was killed when he tried to cross a submerged road.  You should check for current updates before driving through these areas or before heading to any port in Manitoba and North Dakota.

North Dakota Highway 18 and the border crossing at Neche / Gretna has been closed.  In 2009, similar circumstances kept this port shut down for 22 days.  If you are heading that way you will need to consider using the Pembina / Emerson, Lancaster / Tolstoi, or Wahalla / Winkler border crossings instead of Neche.  Lancaster has temporarily increased their hours of operation to 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. to accommodate detouring traffic.    If you are planning to take advantage of these new hours call the border crossing office at the numbers listed on our website before you leave to ensure they are still offering this temporary extension.

The Red River is forecast to crest in Emerson between April 25th and 28th so keep an eye on the situation.

ezbordercrossing.com is currently in the process of enhancing it’s border crossing web pages with up-to-date road and weather conditions so check our site before traveling towards the border.

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Peace Arch Border Crossing Adds RFID Express Lane

On April 18th, 2010, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened a new dedicated lane at the Peace Arch border crossing for U.S. or Canadian travelers who have a RFID-enabled cards.   This new “ready lane” should expedite passage for all vehicles that have any of the following types of documentation:

  • A Washington state enhanced driver’s licenses (EDL) or enhanced ID card
  • Trusted Traveler cards such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST cards
  • New Permanent Resident cards
  • U.S. Passport cards
  • Secure Certificates of Indian Status (SCIS)

 

Important Reminder: to use this dedicated lane, ALL passengers in the vehicle over the age of 16 must present one of these forms of Radio Frequency Identification Documents.

The new Ready Lane will be open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Additional “Ready Lanes” exist in Detroit at the Ambassador Bridge and along the U.S. border with Mexico.

See ezbordercrossing.com for more information on the Peace Arch or Ambassador Bridge border crossings.  You may also read about RFID cards and all other types of border crossing documentation.