Houlton border station is getting multimillion-dollar facelift
HOULTON, Maine — The initial phases of a $20 million to $30 million Houlton Land Port of Entry improvement project are underway with construction on the 40-year-old structures slated to begin in 2025.
The Houlton border crossing project is one of 26 planned port of entry structural upgrades throughout the United States, including four others in Maine. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2022, $3.4 billion has been earmarked for the U.S. Government Services Administration to modernize land ports of entry along the nation’s borders, according to the GSA.
These projects will strengthen supply chains, create good-paying jobs, enhance safety and security, and serve as models of sustainability, said Paul Hughes, GSA Regional Public Affairs Officer for the New England Region Office of Strategic Communication.
The Maine land port improvements total more than $195 million and the other state locations on the GSA improvement list include Calais Ferry Land Port of Entry, Fort Fairfield Land Port of Entry, Limestone Land Port of Entry and Coburn Gore Land Port of Entry.
“These projects are ongoing, though at various stages in a long and complex process,” said Hughes, regarding Maine’s land ports.
Houlton’s port of entry is about 40 years old, while the other ports of entry in Maine on the improvement list date back to the 1930s. The design elements will preserve the historical nature of the buildings, Hughes said.
The schedule for Houlton is a bit ahead of the others in Maine with the environmental impact study by Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson completed and the $672,181 architectural planning and design contract awarded in late May to Marvel Designs in New York. The project is expected to be finished in 2027.
Marvel will provide pre-design, concept, design development, construction documentation and construction procurement services, according to the GSA. The design firm has been repeatedly honored for its innovative and environmentally sound designs.
The Houlton project will repair and alter existing campus buildings’ systems and site systems, bringing them into compliance with GSA facility standards for public buildings, Hughes said.
Repairs include roofs, windows, exterior wall panels, storefront systems, elevators, mechanical systems, plumbing systems and fire alarm upgrades. Site items in need of repair include water service lines, the site septic system and the replacement of underground fuel oil tanks, he said.
“Our underfunded and outdated infrastructure has real costs to families, our economy, and our global competitiveness,” said Mitch Landrieu, senior advisor and White House infrastructure implementation coordinator, in a release. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing in strengthening our supply chains, including our land ports which are vital for moving goods across our borders.”
The GSA’s goals for the Houlton port include providing a long-lasting and durable port that is sustainable and climate resilient, with low maintenance and operating costs. The modernized port will also be highly functional and technologically efficient, Hughes said,
The projects will improve public and officer safety, as well as expedite crossing times for the traveling public and businesses that rely on binational commerce, according to the GSA.
The GSA’s goal is to provide sustainable, climate resilient, superior facilities with low maintenance and operating costs; and which are functional, technologically efficient, and provide a welcoming gateway into the United States, Hugles said.