Plans to modernize and expand the U.S. side of the Aldergrove-Lynden border crossing could turn it into a 24-hour operation, according to statements issued by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which is in charge of upgrading the aging Kenneth G. Ward land port of entry.
“The expansion project will expand and separate personal vehicle traffic and commercial screening operations, possibly allowing for a 24-hour, full-service port operations,” a GSA online project summary said.
Currently, the crossing is operated by the United States Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) for 16 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to midnight, as is the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) crossing next door that handles traffic from the U.S. into Canada.
Built in 1986, the 16,421 sq-ft Kenneth G. Ward facility “is no longer able to meet the operational needs of customs and border protection,” the GSA summary states.
“The port’s limited commercial capability results in unbalanced demand and escalating wait times at other commercial ports throughout Western Washington.”
Currently in the planning stages, the estimated $90 to $100 million overhaul will expand the Lynden crossing, offering four lanes for trucks and five for regular vehicles when completed. Kenneth G. Ward currently has one lane for trucks, and four non-commercial lanes.
Plans also call for widening the two-lane road on the U.S. side.
Construction is expected to start in September 2026, with “substantial completion” by November of 2028, the GSA projects.
In response to a Langley Advance Times query about Canadian intentions, a statement from the CBSA said “there are no plans at this time to implement 24-hour operations.”
It noted the hours at the Canadian crossing “are aligned with the hours of operation at the U.S. CBP port of entry at Lynden, Washington,” adding “it is important to note that each country is responsible for determining its operational needs and service hours.”
Starting in 2014, the Canadian border crossing underwent a complete overhaul, with new buildings, two new commercial lanes and five travel lanes, including a Nexus line that allows vetted travellers to bypass customs delays.
As well, upgrades to the highway on the Canadian side included two northbound travel lanes and three southbound lanes between 0 Avenue and 8 Avenue.
Work was completed in 2020.
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GSA has also announced plans to upgrade the Sumas crossing in Abbotsford, at a cost of $135 million to $155 million U.S., over the same schedule as Kenneth G. Ward.
