U.S. General Services Administration
Decades-long Madawaska, Maine, Land Port of Entry project nears completion
BOSTON – In the early 2000s, when the Madawaska-Edmundston international bridge was nearing 100 years old, United States and Canadian agencies jointly began working on a plan to ensure that the vital travel and commerce link between the two communities and countries would experience as minimal disruption as possible while the infrastructure was upgraded.
At the same time, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began planning for the replacement of the existing land port of entry (LPOE). Built in 1959, the current LPOE has no room for expansion, lacks office and inspection areas, and does not meet the changing mission & operational needs of CBP.
Coordination between multiple agencies was essential to bring these two major construction projects to life. Among these were:
● GSA
● CBP
● Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
● U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
● Maine Congressional Delegation
● Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT)
● New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI)
● Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
● Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)
● Madawaska, Maine
● Edmundston, New Brunswick
● Twin Rivers Paper Company
“After years of planning and coordination, we are nearing completion of this complex project,” Region 1 Public Buildings Service Commissioner Glenn C. Rotondo said. “Through multiple iterations in planning, changing requirements and supply chain issues caused by a worldwide pandemic, GSA worked diligently to deliver the residents of Madawaska and Edmundston, and the entire region, a long-term, safe and efficient flow of current and projected traffic volumes, including the movement of goods and people between Edmundston, New Brunswick, and Madawaska, Maine.”
The Madawaska port project included design and construction of a new LPOE on 10.7 acres of USA land to replace the existing mission and operationally deficient LPOE. The LPOE project was conducted in coordination with MaineDOT’s Madawaska-Edmundston International bridge replacement project.
“The construction of the new international bridge is one of the biggest and most complex projects in the Maine Department of Transportation’s Work Plan.” Bruce A. Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, said. “This international crossing is an integral part of our transportation system that serves Aroostook County and the entire state. We are proud of the progress we have made with our partners on the bridge project; our bridge is part of a broader transportation system, and our team is part of a larger team working to improve this critical border connection. We look forward to opening the new bridge to traffic in conjunction with the opening of the new land port of entry.”
The LPOE is currently scheduled for substantial completion in mid-January with traffic able to cross through in mid-March.
Once complete, the new state-of-the-art LPOE aims to be an energy efficient, sustainable, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Gold & SITES Silver certified facility that offers high end technology for the CBP officers stationed there. The main building will house administration, training, staff, staff support, processing support, enforcement support, agricultural inspection, building support, inspection support areas, and training facilities comprising classrooms, offices, training rooms, and support spaces.
This project will facilitate economic, cultural and familial connections. The people who live along the border depend on this cross-border community engagement, often crossing through the port daily for jobs and mutual aid.
“A project of this complexity and scale inevitably encounters numerous challenges over time,” Rotondo concluded. “It has been a testament to the strong partnerships developed between federal, state and local communities in successfully shepherding this project to this important milestone.”
Media Contact: Paul Hughes 617-283-6142 paul.hughes@gsa.gov
About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing about $87 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.