U.S. General Services Administration
GSA sets June 6, 2024, as opening date for the Madawaska Land Port of Entry in Maine
BOSTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in conjunction with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has set June 6, 2024, as the opening date for the new Madawaska Land Port of Entry in Maine.
This marks the substantial completion of a decades-long project intended to facilitate economic, cultural and familial connections throughout the St. John Valley. The new port is a vital link for those that live in the region and depend on this cross-border community engagement, often crossing through the port daily for jobs and commerce.
“After years of planning and coordination, we’re proud to complete 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 with federal, state and local stakeholders including CBP, MDOT, Madawaska and Canadian stakeholders 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 Maine Department of Transportation and the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI) will open the Madawaska-Edmundston bridge to traffic on Thursday, June 6.
The new bridge will initially have a 5-ton weight limit while construction activities continue on the bridge and Canadian Port of Entry.
The ongoing construction will also involve the permanent closure of the old bridge for vehicular traffic on Monday, June 3 at 8 a.m. ET.
The old bridge will remain open for pedestrian traffic only between the hours of 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET daily from June 3 through June 6.
This means that both Madawaska bridges will be closed to all traffic from June 3 until June 6. The next closest border crossings are in Fort Kent (approximately 19 miles to the west) and Van Buren (approximately 24 miles to the east).
The Madawaska port project includes design & construction of a new port on 10.7 acres of land to replace the existing obsolete port built in 1959. The new state-of-the-art port is 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.
An official grand opening and ribbon cutting for both the port and the bridge is currently being planned for August 15, 2024.
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 over $100 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.