On August 15, 2024, members of the design-build team, residents and government officials gathered to open a new U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and the recently completed Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge. Located along the St. John River, Madawaska is Maine’s northernmost town and has long been an important crossing point between the United States and Canada. With nearly a century of use, the existing bridge connecting the Canadian and American entry facilities was underperforming and jointly deemed in need of replacement. A concurrent project was launched on the Maine side of the terminus to replace the existing Land Port of Entry (LOPE) facility.
Built in 1959, the existing LPOE was a 6,000-square-foot, single-story masonry building no longer able to functionally support border operations. Deficient vehicle inspection areas, poor traffic circulation, and limited space for future growth spurred the decision to search out a more functional site. The new LPOE is now located just a short distance from the original on 10.7 acres of newly purchased land. Designed to house administration, training, staff support, processing and enforcement support, agricultural inspection, inspection areas, and training facilities, the 52,000-square-foot building is on track for SITES Silver and LEED Gold certification.
As part of the LPOE’s design-build team of Robert Siegel Architects and J&J Contractors, VHB provided site/civil engineering design services including new utility services, extensive site grading, stormwater management, vehicle circulation and wayfinding, and construction support. Our team worked closely with design and engineering team members and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials to deliver a facility that would not only provide efficient flow of vehicles and pedestrians now and into the future, but support CBP in performing and expanding mission priorities.
The LPOE was carefully scheduled to finish concurrent with the new Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge, connecting the Edmunston entry facility and the relocated Maine facility. The 100-year-old bridge had been reduced to a traffic-restricting five-ton weight limit and was found to be impractical to repair. The new bridge, built by Reed & Reed, through a partnership between by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) and New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI) features a new upstream alignment, wider traffic lanes, and a pedestrian sidewalk.
Combined, the $65 million project required complex coordination between local, state, provincial, and federal agencies in both countries to maintain the important cross-border link. This much-needed project will continue to facilitate economic and cultural connections throughout the St. John Valley and Northeast region, accommodating the movement of goods and people into the next 100 years.
VHB team members attended the ribbon-cutting and meeting of the two countries’ Honor Guards, with notable attendees including Rene Arsenault, member of Parliament for Madawaska-Restigouche, New Brunswick; New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs; U.S. Rep. Jared Golden; U.S. Sen. Angus King; U.S. Sen. Susan Collins; Kerry Skelton, U.S. Customs and Border Protection assistant commissioner; Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation; and Robin Carnahan, U.S. General Services administrator.
Learn more about VHB’s approach to delivering multi-faceted Land Development services, as well as our ongoing collaborations with Federal Agencies.
Photographer: Paul Warchol Photography. Architect: Robert Siegel Architects.
Design-Builder: J&J Contractors, Inc.
