New lane will reduce congestion at Niagara border

Niagara Falls, Ontario – A $45 million construction project to create a fifth lane on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge will reduce congestion at one of the busiest border crossings from Canada to the United States.

The cost will be shared equally by the federal and Ontario governments and will be performed by Rankin Construction of St. Catharines, Ontario. Construction is currently underway, with completion slated for December 2005. It follows the recent completion of two new truck lanes to Highway 405, the main corridor leading to the bridge.

The additional bridge lane will be designated for commercial vehicles that have security clearance under the Free and Secure Trade program. The lane will connect with the newly constructed lanes on Highway 405. The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge is Canada’s fourth busiest border crossing, with over 1 million trucks carrying $36 billion in goods moving over it each year.

The Government of Canada’s investment is part of the $600 million Border Infrastructure Fund, designed to contribute to projects that reduce border congestion, improve the flow of goods and services, and expand infrastructure capacity over the medium term. Ontario’s portion is part of a $1 billion investment in highway infrastructure to improve safety and ease congestion.