All Traffic Lanes on Peace Bridge to be Open for Summer Season


BUFFALO, NY/FORT ERIE, ON – Today the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Peace Bridge Authority) began the process of reopening the third traffic lane on the Peace Bridge for the 2017 summer travel season.

This re-opening follows a reduction to two traffic lanes as of November 2016, which was undertaken to accommodate ongoing construction activities related to the Authority’s $100 million Peace Bridge rehabilitation project. All three lanes will be fully functional by the morning of May 18, 2017.

“The improvements we are making as part of the Peace Bridge rehabilitation project are necessary for a 90 year old bridge and will ensure the long-term viability of the Peace Bridge as a premier regional and international corridor for travel, tourism and trade,” said Tim Clutterbuck, Chairman of the PBA Board of Directors. “We are pleased that the lane closure over the last several months had little adverse impact on traffic flows”

Prior to the single lane closure, the PBA enlisted Jacobs Civil Consultants, Inc. to review the impact of operating a two-lane bridge during the period of lane closure. During the fall/winter of 2017 and 2018, the cycle of a single lane closure will be repeated. According to Richard Gobeille, National Toll and Finance Manager for Jacobs Civil Consultants, “One lane of traffic in each direction can certainly accommodate normal traffic flows across the Peace Bridge, both east and west bound, especially during months when daily traffic volumes are significantly lower than in the summer season.”

All three lanes of the Peace Bridge will be open throughout the busy summer season while other elements of the bridge rehabilitation project continue. The $100 million rehabilitation project is scheduled for full completion in spring 2019.

About the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, a binational bridge authority, has owned and operated the Peace Bridge since 1933. The bridge, which was opened to traffic in 1927, spans the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, and is a key international border crossing.

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