A $9.7 million project to shuffle and upgrade parts of the Pembina-Emerson Port of Entry in North Dakota concluded this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by federal and state officials.
Improvements focused on traffic flow, technology, and safety, according to Gov. Doug Burgum. The upgrades included new lanes of traffic to separate commercial and primary traffic, relocation of the facility’s outbound inspection and duty-free pick-up areas, construction of additional parking, a pedestrian crossing, and introduction of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). On the other side of the project, Canada invested $19 million into upgrades of truck inspection facilities.
“The new upgrades at Pembina will allow staff to meet the demands of the high-volume, 24/7 border crossing operation,” North Dakota Department of Transportation Director Tom Sorel said. “The end result means shorter wait times for travelers and a more efficient operation for border crossing staff.”
The border crossing processes vast numbers of commercial and passenger traffic each year. In 2017 alone, around 275,000 passenger vehicles and 216,000 commercial trucks used the crossing. As a result, it is the fourth largest port of entry between the United States and Canada.