By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Plans were announced Thursday for an expansion of the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
Canadian government officials gathered with representatives of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission to say that a fifth lane will be added by removing the bridge's center median. The Commission's Tom Garlock said it's an expensive project.
"The bridge project will cost $45 million Canadian," Garlock said. "And that will be funded equally by the government of Canada, the province of Ontario and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission."
In addition to the bridge expansion, Canadian officials will add an express lane to Highway 405 leading to the bridge. Garlock said that will allow both trucks and cars which are pre-approved to cross the border to move quickly.
"We think it's going to dramatically improve the travel time, particularly for commercial carriers," Garlock said. "When you consider that $3 million (U.S.) passes across the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge each hour -- and you understand that time is money -- we think this is going to have a dramtic economic impact for both countries."
Garlock said planning will begin immediately with construction scheduled to get underway sometime next year. He said the fifth lane should open sometime in the latter half of 2005.