Pacific Highway construction to delay truck traffic for weeks

BLAINE, Wash. — Starting today, and lasting several weeks, construction crews will intermittently stop traffic leading up to the Pacific Highway crossing at the Blaine, Wash.- Surrey, B.C. border.

Crews, according to the Washington State DOT, will close lanes as necessary for 10 minutes at a time between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. near D St. and from Boblett Street to H St.

The work is part of a project to convert the Pacific Highway crossing into a five-lane highway, with a new, northbound FAST truck lane on Route 543. The lane is expected to improve freight movement and relieve congestion at the border. The job also includes widening two passenger car lanes.

The truck lane will shift to the other side of the Duty Free Store to line up with the border security booths.

Currently, northbound trucks use the shoulder of the highway as a waiting area before crossing the border. Operators of those vehicles right now see little value in FAST since they are tied up with the rest of commercial traffic in one lane.

The border is the fourth highest commercial truck crossing along the 49th. Commercial traffic has increased 85 percent over the last ten years. Up to 2,000 trucks use the highway each day

The extra lanes and a new D Street overpass will help separate cars and trucks and eliminate conflicts and congestion at intersections, authorities say.

Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2008.