Redesigning to help move vehicles through border crossings faster
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) approached Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) about improving border crossings across Canada. We were called on to provide professional and technical services and expertise, such as project management and engineering services, and we quickly mobilized to help.
In 2013, CBSA and PSPC began working together to upgrade the North Portal CBSA port of entry. Thinking northern Canada? Think again. The North Portal border crossing is in south Saskatchewan, located next to Portal, North Dakota, in the United States.
It’s the tenth-busiest crossing for commercial truck traffic in Canada. In 2021 alone, nearly 130,000 commercial trucks passed through this port of entry. This busy border crossing had only 2 lanes for traffic: one for personal vehicles and the other for commercial vehicles. Needless to say, this was not enough to move the large numbers of vehicles through the port every day. A redesign was needed.
Recognizing they didn’t have the expertise to do this alone, the CBSA reached out to PSPC. Scott Kienlen, the CBSA Corporate Chief for the Southern Alberta and the Southern Saskatchewan District at the North Portal, worked closely with the PSPC project team. He said that working with our department was full service: “PSPC made sure that our interests were at the forefront from design, to traffic management, to the correct exterior finish.”
Chad Van Apeldoorn, a project manager at PSPC, joined the project 1 year into the construction phase to revitalize the border crossing. “This was a complex project,” said Van Apeldoorn. “First of all, the border crossing had to stay open during construction. Then, as digging started, construction workers found underground structures that no one knew about. These needed to be taken out before they could start to build anything in that location. The team also had trouble coordinating and keeping tradespeople because of the remoteness of the project site.” Even with all of these obstacles, the project team completed the work within the appropriate timelines.
Van Apeldoorn said, “There was an excellent demonstration of a team effort to work through the many obstacles presented throughout construction that led to the eventual grand opening.”
The North Portal re-development project wrapped up in 2022. And, if you drive across the border today, you will benefit from the $26-million investment, which has resulted in:
- adding a third processing lane for all vehicles entering Canada
- constructing a new and higher canopy for semi-trucks and oversized vehicles
- installing bi-level inspection booths that can accommodate either cars or semi-trucks
- adding solar panels to power part of the facility with renewable energy
- renovating and expanding the CBSA’s warehouse building for semi-truck examination
- adding parking spaces for semi-truck drivers who need to report to the CBSA offices
- better site security and lighting for more visibility and safety at night
When asked about working with CBSA, Van Apeldoorn said, “I’m grateful to have been part of such a significant project. It was rewarding to see and hear CBSA’s appreciation of the delivery and successful completion of this project.” Kienlen responded by saying, “It was an absolute pleasure working with Chad and the PSPC team. Throughout the entire project, PSPC had client satisfaction as a top priority.”
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