ezbordercrossing

Guide to Crossing the US Canada Border

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Van Buren Port – Temporary Closure

The U.S. / Canadian border crossing between Van Buren Maine and St. Leonard New Brunswick will be closed to all traffic on  Tuesday October 2, 2012.  Construction of a new road and  ramp at the port means that both northbound and southbound traffic will need to use alternative border crossings.   The U.S. and Canadian customs services expect to reopen the port for normal use on October 5th at 7am.  Detour signs will be placed on both sides of the border to direct travelers to alternate ports.

The Hamlin port of entry is approximately 10 miles south of Van Buren and will be open 24 hours a day during this time. The Madawaska port of entry, which is normally open 24 hours a day, is approximately 25 miles north.   Both locations are available to all traffic, passenger cars, commercial trucks and pedestrians.

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St. Leonard / Van Buren Port Closure

The St Leonard /Van Buren border crossing between New Brunswick and Maine will be closed for at least 5 hours on August 20, 2011 from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.   The port will be shut down in both directions, so all traffic, including passenger cars, commercial trucks, and pedestrians must use alternate border crossings.  The port is being closed for construction activities required to move an 80 ton train trestle.

The Hamlin / Grand Falls port of entry is approximately 10 miles southeast and is available to all traffic, including passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and pedestrians.  The Edmundston / Madawaska port of entry is approximately 24 miles northwest and is also available to all types of vehicles.  Staffing at these alternate ports will be increased to handle the additional traffic.

Although the Van Buren port of entry is expected to resume operations at 12:00 pm, this is a unique project so any complications could delay reopening of the border crossing.

Travelers should always check with ezbordercrossing.com for the most up-to-date traffic alerts and road conditions at the U.S. / Canadian port you are planning to use.

 

 

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Summer Border Crossing Construction

As you head to the U.S. / Canadian border this summer you are likely to be greeted with either construction projects or perhaps a newly improved port.   The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) is in the process of upgrading almost half of the U.S. ports along the border while Canada is also doing upgrades and road repairs.

The U.S. is constructing an entirely new facility at the Van St Leonard-Van Buren Bridge between Maine and New Brunswick.  It is  scheduled for completion by July 2013.

Among the newly upgraded U.S. border offices are the the Sherwood / Carievale and Westhope / Coulter ports in North Dakota.   These new U.S. border facilities were funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Canada is closing the NEXUS lanes at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge for 2 days while construction is underway at that port.  They are also closing the Thousand Islands Bridge NEXUS lands for an undetermined amount of time during construction at that site.   The lane normally dedicated to NEXUS will be used to process commercial vehicles during the construction period.