North Portal has upgraded its border crossing following 4 years of construction projects which expanded on a number of areas.

The $26.4 million investment focused on areas such as speeding up processing, improving security, and even adding renewable features to the crossing.

From 2018 to 2022, the Government of Canada worked on the following areas:

  • added a third processing lane for vehicles entering Canada
  • installed bi-level Primary Inspection Line booths, which can accommodate either cars or semi-trucks
  • built a new canopy with more height clearance for semi-trucks and oversized vehicles
  • renovated and expanded the warehouse building where CBSA officers examine semi-truck shipments
  • increased parking space for semi-truck drivers who need to report to the CBSA office
  • improved site security and lighting for greater nighttime visibility and safety
  • updated the power part of the facility with renewable energy, using solar panels

The North Portal port of entry is open 24-7, located on a major trade route that links Saskatchewan to the American Midwest and Charleston, South Carolina.

Construction at North Portal began in May 2018 and lasted through October 2021.

The project represented the first major upgrades at North Portal since the current border facilities opened in 1989.