U.S. plans to rebuild two B.C. border crossings could mean a complete, albeit temporary, shutdown of the Aldergrove-Lynden border crossing on the B.C.-Washington State border next year, while vehicles would be diverted to the Abbotsford-Sumas port of entry, which would continue to operate during its renovations.
A report by the U.S. General Services Administration, released on Jan. 14, said the agency is considering what was described as "a sequential construction option" to shorten the time needed to rebuild both sites from a projected 24 months to 18.
Closing the Kenneth G. Ward land port of entry in Lynden to all southbound traffic would speed construction, while Sumas, about 20 km. away, would offer "a relatively short detour" said the Lynden and Sumas "modernization and expansion projects record of decision" report signed by Lisa Pearson, regional commissioner, Northwest/Arctic region public buildings service in the General Services Administration.
"GSA is considering this option with the intent of identifying the construction option that would best reduce impacts on the communities surrounding the LPOEs [Land Port Of Entry], with particular emphasis on the city of Sumas due to commercial business and community reliance on the LPOEs" the report said.
"It is likely that sequential construction could best limit the time required to complete construction of both projects."
Construction is expected to begin in 2026, according to the report, which did not say how long the Aldergrove closure would last.
Work would also begin in Sumas at the same time as the Lynden shutdown, but limited to tasks that don't completely block traffic, such as vegetation removal and demolition of existing buildings, the report outlined.
"Once the modernized and expanded Lynden LPOE is reopened, construction that impacts traffic (vehicular and pedestrian) would begin on the Sumas LPOE. The Sumas LPOE would remain open to pedestrians and [private vehicles] during construction to the greatest extent possible."
At Lynden, a GSA press release issued with the report said space limitations cause "frequent congestion in the commercial vehicle lane and commercial vehicles often travel farther distances to other ports that offer more efficient processing."
The Sumas port also doesn't have enough space for efficient traffic flow, it said, which impedes the port鈥檚 operations and causes traffic and safety concerns in the surrounding community.
Both sites will be expanded and reconfigured, with Lynden eliminating the current east-west layout that requires traffic to make turns entering and exiting the site, in favour of a north-south "line of sight" layout and two new buildings, one for commercial vehicles. The new layout for the port in Lynden will be located to the west and south of the existing facility.
Sumas will get a "multi-storey" main building and a separate smaller building to support the port鈥檚 outbound commercial inspection requirements. It may also get a pedestrian bridge for staff to cross over a busy main street to get to work.
Both will require land purchases for the expansions: in Lynden, 5.6 acres of land that includes farmland commercial facilities, a commercial business and a residence, and 8.6 acres of land in Sumas that include a duty-free shop, an American Legion building, a gasoline station and mini mart.
"The existing Lynden and Sumas LPOEs have not undergone major improvements since their construction in the late 1980s and do not have sufficient space for modernization and expansion within their current layout," the Jan. 17 report noted.
In 2021, the U.S. congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that included $3.4 billion for GSA to upgrade 26 border crossings long overdue for modernization.
Signed into law by then-president Joe Biden, it is not clear what effect the election of Donald Trump could have on the planned improvements.
