Peace Bridge re-decking halfway complete

A US$80-million reconstruction of the Peace Bridge is halfway finished and on schedule.

The total project cost is $100 million with the necessary engineering and environmental studies factored into the plan, which will be completed in spring 2019, said Peace Bridge Authority (PBA) general manager Ron Rienas.

Work began last fall on the re-decking project, a makeover that will improve the bridge with upgraded light standards, new railings, a 2.4-metre-wide multipurpose sidewalk widening, a new overhead gantry system with variable messaging capability, and the installation of a viewing deck area at the international boundary line.

“It will be much more conducive to accommodating pedestrians and cyclists than what it was previously,” said Rienas.

The sidewalk will be closed until the reconstruction is complete in 2019. Crews will continue working hard through the winter leading up to the busy tourist season, so the bridge can reopen to three lanes when the summer arrives.

It will be much more conducive to accommodating pedestrians and cyclists than what it was previously.” PBA general manager Ron Rienas

This is the biggest major overhaul the 1,074-metre-long structure has been given since it was built in 1927.

“There are sections of the deck that have been repaired over the years, but that deck has not been replaced in 90 years.

About a decade ago, a twin-bridge plan emerged that would have seen a second span built next to the iconic border crossing, including a rehabilitation of the Peace Bridge after a new cable-stay design was built. That was scrapped when agencies in the U.S. determined the project couldn’t go forward due to the impact it may have on migratory birds.

The latest work will be financed over the next 30 years and is completely funded by the PBA, part of an ongoing capital plan of about $170 million, including a recently-completed $25-million expansion of the commercial inspection building in the U.S.

A new Canadian plaza was unveiled in 2007.

There are no immediate plans to update the aging administration building on the American side, as the PBA is monitoring various changes in technology at crossings that are expected to be handed down from the federal governments.

Rienas says the authority is waiting to see what the future of the border is going to look like before taking the next steps with the building.

X-ray and identification procedures, biometric entry and exit systems — these are things that could be on the way.

“You go to the airport — it’s a totally different experience than it was two years ago,” said Rienas.

“Some of that is coming to the land border so we’re closely monitoring that to see how it impacts any future plans,” he added.

The PBA has an annual revenue of about $30 million, mostly from toll fees.

Close to 50,000 pedestrians use the bridge each year. During the construction process, a shuttle service is being provided by the PBA.

More than four million vehicles travel the Peace Bridge each year and it is a conduit for about $40 billion in trade each year.

Rienas also said border officials on both sides have worked very well with the PBA while the work takes place.

Both Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency have been excellent in terms of staffing to ensure a two-lane bridge can function efficiently, he said.

American Bridge Canada, a binational company, is responsible for the re-decking project.