US and Canada celebrate new Madawaska border crossing

MADAWASKA, Maine — Officials from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border came together Thursday in Madawaska to celebrate the town’s new international bridge and port of entry.

About 200 people gathered in front of the U.S. Port of Entry facility to take part in the event, which included ribbon cutting ceremonies for the new port of entry and bridge.

The bridge connecting Madawaska with Edmundston, New Brunswick, has been in the works for decades , since the old structure was more than 100 years old and deteriorating rapidly. The new U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station replaces a 65-year-old structure.

The new crossing facilities are expected to boost trade and tourism between the two countries. The modern, safer bridge now lets large trucks cross at Madawaska, which for the past seven years have had to find alternative routes. The updated border station is expected to make crossing quicker and more secure

“A bridge like this makes good neighbors,” said U.S. Sen. Angus King. “It’s a concrete and steel manifestation of the cooperation between our two countries.”

Other officials at the event included U.S. Sen. Susan Collins; U.S. Rep. Jared Golden; Kerry Skelton, U.S. Customs and Border Protection assistant commissioner; and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, and Canadian Parliament member Rene Arsenault also were scheduled to speak.

Speakers stressed the history of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada and the towns of Madawaska and Edmundston. Most talked about the connections of family, friendship and commerce that will grow stronger with the larger port and bridge.

“Having you all here recognizes the importance of this moment for our communities,” said Robin Carnahan, U.S. General Services administrator.

“This bridge will forge new ties between communities drawn together between the waters of New Brunswick and Maine,” Arsenault said.

Following the official ribbon cutting at the port of entry, the color guard led dignitaries to the center of the bridge, where they were met by the Canadian color guard, in a symbolic gesture of the cooperation between the countries. A bridge ribbon cutting followed.

“In the end, it comes down to jobs and families,” Collins said after the ceremony. Commerce will be easier and more efficient. And for businesses that suffered when the border closed [during the pandemic], this represents hope and a new era.”

Agencies and subcontractors from both countries collaborated on the projects, which have seen various delays from supply holdups and pandemic-related restrictions.

The bridge contract was awarded to Reed & Reed of Woolwich . The $97.5 million international bridge runs diagonally across the St. John River.

The old structure, at more than a century old, was considered unsafe and a five-ton weight restriction was imposed in 2017. Since then, trucks with heavier loads have had to travel roughly half an hour more to cross at either Van Buren or Fort Kent.

The old bridge closed permanently on June 3 and workers are expected to demolish it this summer. The new span opened to traffic on June 6, with some restrictions in place to allow contractors to bring down an abutment on the Canadian side.

The five-ton weight limit was lifted on Aug. 1 , allowing heavy trucks to cross in Madawaska for the first time in seven years.

While considering the new bridge, officials from the General Services Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection discussed updating Madawaska’s port of entry.

The 1959 building was too small and had substandard conditions, which prevented staff from doing their jobs adequately, according to the General Services Administration. There was no room for expanded services or increases in traffic.

The administration and J&J Contractors of North Billerica, Massachusetts, broke ground on the project in September 2021.

The General Services Administration acquired 10.7 acres of land for the new port, but managed to hit a local nerve when that parcel included the Madawaska McDonald’s restaurant. Residents protested, but the restaurant came down in 2022.

The new $73 million station, which also opened Aug. 1, is energy efficient, includes modern technology and can house administrative offices, training spaces and support spaces for staff, along with agricultural inspection services, according to the administration .

In a nod to the town, the street on which the building sits has a local name: Four Corners Crossing , inspired by Madawaska’s status as one of the “four corners” in the Southern California Motorcycle Association’s 7,000-mile Four Corners Tour. The other three corners are San Ysidro, California; Blaine, Washington, and Key West, Florida.