• Temporary work trestle and access road construction.
• Installation of granular borrow and heavy riprap.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and in coordination with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) / Final Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation assessing the potential impacts of a proposed new U.S. Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in Madawaska and an International Bridge project between Madawaska and Edmundston.

The FSEIS identified the GSA's Preferred Alternative for the new U.S. LPOE and the FHWA's and MaineDOT's Preferred Alternative for the International Bridge location and design and why they were identified over the other alternatives considered. It described the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures and other commitments and addresses comments received on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation issued on November 26, 2018.

The GSA's Preferred Alternative for the LPOE is Alternative C from the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) with inbound and outbound access to Mill Street. The FHWA's and MaineDOT's Preferred Alternative for the International Bridge is Alternative 2 from the DSEIS with a bridge anticipated to have six spans and five piers. The Preferred Alternatives for the LPOE and International Bridge will continue to evolve as the design for both progresses.

The GSA and FHWA accepted comments on the FSEIS / Final Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation until November 4, 2019.

On February 13, 2020, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and in coordination with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), published a Record of Decision (ROD) completing the National Environmental Policy Act process. The ROD summarizes NEPA findings and documents the decision made.

For further information on the Environmental Evaluation , please contact:

Eva Birk, Environmental Specialist U.S. Department of Transportation , FHWA
Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building,
40 Western Avenue
Room 614
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-512-4921
Fax: 207-626-9133
E-mail:eva.birk@dot.gov

For further information regarding GSA's new Land Port of Entry, please contact:

Alexas Kelly, Project Manager, GSA, New England Region
10 Causeway Street, 11th Floor
Boston, MA 02222
Phone: 617-549-8190
E-mail: alexandria.kelly@gsa.gov

This project was advertising for bids on December 23rd, 2020. MaineDOT is scheduled to open bids in early February.

Madawaska LPOE and New International Bridge Record of Decision (PDF)

During the Public Hearing held on December 12, 2018, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Highway Administration, and MaineDOT provided a timeline for the availability of the FSEIS / Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation. At the time, it was anticipated that this would be available in the April timeframe.

Due to the complexity of the overall project, it was not possible to complete this portion of the process as initially projected. In order to ensure a thorough and complete evaluation of all aspects of the project are taken into account, the new estimated availability of the FSEIS / Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation, which will identify the preferred alternative for the Land Port of Entry (LPOE) and the new International Bridge, is targeted for late summer 2019.

News Release for May 24, 2024

For more Information:
Paul Merrill, Director of Communications - 207-215-9297

MADAWASKA - The Maine Department of Transportation and the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI), in coordination with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), are planning to open the new Madawaska-Edmundston bridge to traffic on Thursday, June 6th. The new bridge will initially be restricted to vehicles that weigh no more than five tons while construction activities continue on the bridge and Canadian Port of Entry.

The ongoing construction will also involve the permanent closure of the old bridge to vehicle traffic on Monday, June 3rd. This means that both Madawaska bridges are scheduled to be closed to vehicle traffic from June 3rd until June 6th. The next closest border crossings are in Fort Kent (approximately 19 miles to the west) and Van Buren (approximately 24 miles to the east). The old bridge will remain open to pedestrians between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. EST and 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST and until the new bridge is open.

As is the case with all outdoor construction, this schedule may change because of the weather.

The new bridge has been built on a new alignment, crossing the St. John River approximately 1,400 feet upstream from the old bridge on the U.S. side and tying into the existing New Brunswick port facility on the Canadian side. The new bridge features wider travel lanes and added shoulders on both sides. There is a raised sidewalk on the downstream side of the new bridge. The new bridge is designed to last 100 years. On-site bridge construction started in 2021. All work associated with the bridge project is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

The bridge construction project is a collaborative effort involving both MaineDOT and NBDTI. The contractor on the project is Reed & Reed, Inc. of Woolwich. The construction contract is approximately $86.5 million. The total project cost is approximately $97.5 million. In 2019, this project received a $36-million Infrastructure for Rebuilding American (INFRA) grant from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. The remaining costs are being shared by MaineDOT and NBDTI.

During bridge construction, the GSA has been constructing a new land port of entry on the U.S. side of the international border. That project is nearing completion. MaineDOT, NBDTI, GSA, CBSA, and others are planning an event later this year to celebrate these projects.

###

News Release for November 6, 2023

For more Information:
Paul Merrill, Director of Communications - 207-215-9297

MADAWASKA - The International Bridge that connects Madawaska, Maine to Edmundston, New Brunswick will be closed to daytime vehicle traffic for three days this week to accommodate paving work on the Canadian side. The land port of entry in Edmundston will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. AST (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST) on Tuesday, November 7th; Wednesday, November 8th; and Thursday, November 9th. Pedestrian traffic will still have access to the bridge and the port of entry.

###

News Release for September 25, 2023

For more Information:
Paul Merrill, Director of Communications - 207-215-9297

UPDATE:

These daily closures will be extended through Wednesday, September 27th.

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE FROM 9/18/23:

MADAWASKA - The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the International Bridge in Madawaska to all traffic during daytime hours for several days to accommodate construction work associated with the new bridge. The closures are scheduled for September 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 25th. The closure times will be between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

###