GSA Awards $33.2M for Pacific Highway Port Modernization
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The U.S. General Services Administration has awarded a $33.2 million contract to modernize Washington state’s busiest commercial border crossing with Canada. The project will upgrade the 25-year-old Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine to speed vehicle processing.
In the Oct. 8 announcement, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said the federal infrastructure expenditure will create “good jobs that boost our economy and national security, saving taxpayer dollars through reduced energy costs, and building a stronger and more prosperous future for our communities.”
The project will expand and reconfigure lanes at the Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry to improve trade flow and security. When complete, the site will have four new primary vehicle inspection lanes and one new outbound inspection lane, increasing the total to 10.
Commercial traffic congestion and vehicle wait times will be reduced at the port of entry, which was built in 1999 and serves both Blaine and the locality of Douglas in British Columbia. A new canopy and enlarged bays will be installed for better secondary vehicle inspections.
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“You cannot have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.). “A more modern port of entry will also reduce congestion and wait times for travelers, improve public safety, and further promote cross-border trade and tourism in the United States and Canada.”
Last year, 356,000 trucks passed through the Pacific Highway port of entry, which is a full-service port operating 24/7. The city of Blaine has nearly 10 miles of truck routes, including Interstate 5 and state routes 543 and 548.
Construction is slated to begin next summer, with substantial completion expected by November 2026. The contract was awarded to Oregon-based T1-RJS Joint Venture, a woman-owned firm working in collaboration with the Coquille Indian Tribe.
Canada bought $1.3 billion in Washington state agricultural products last year, according to the Association of Washington Business. Top exports included fish, seafood, apples, onions, frozen fruit and fresh cherries.
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