Canada adds lane at Niagara Falls bridge to speed trucks
Canada has completed a $45 million project to add a fifth lane to the bridge connecting Queenston, Ontario, and Lewiston, N.Y.
The extra lane will primarily serve commercial trucks enrolled in the Free and Secure Trade program. FAST is a bi-national program that allows expedited customs clearance for preapproved truckers and shippers. The extra lane is expected to reduce delays at the border and ensure that FAST trucks are not stuck in traffic with other vehicles that haven’t taken extra security measures.
The Queenston-Lewiston bridge, near Niagara Falls, is the fourth-busiest commercial border crossing between the two nations. It handles more than 1 million trucks and $28 billion worth of goods each year.
The governments of Canada and Ontario, as well as the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, each contributed $15 million to the project, which was completed ahead of schedule in 10 months.