Project Background and Scope: Per the Customs Act, Section 6, FBCL as the owner of the Thousand Islands Bridge, is responsible for the provision of facilities to CBSA at this international bridge crossing. The Lansdowne Customs Facility, in operation since the 1950’s, does not meet the current needs of Canada. It requires continual investments to operate and maintain and is severely limited in space and design to accommodate the latest technologies for border management and efficient traffic flow. The project has been identified as a priority in the Canada/United States Beyond the Border Initiative Action Plan as announced by the Government in April 2013 with a funding allocation of up to $60 million.
There are five components to the Lansdowne Customs Facility Rehabilitation Project initiated in 2014: the planning, site investigation and design; civil works and rock removal; the construction of the new commercial and traffic building; demolition of the existing facilities; and, the final improvements and alignment of the roadways and landscaping.
Project Status: The project is in its early stages. In 2011, FBCL commissioned the development of a conceptual plan that reviewed the current facilities and the requirement of the future of CBSA and propose options for moving forward. It was determined that the new facility should contain nine primary travellers booths and four commercial booths based on the traffic level and type (see Appendix D). CBSA operations and security at the crossing will be maintained throughout the construction phase. The planning, site investigation and design component is underway and the overall project is planned for completion in 2017-18.