U.S. Customs and Border Protection is advising travellers that the bridge joining Canada and the United States at International Falls will remain open during a brief construction project.
Travellers coming into the U.S. should expect delays during the hours of construction, which are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There will be no construction Friday-Sunday, and travellers going into Canada will not be affected.
Construction will last until mid-July.
Travellers can consider an alternate route to the U.S. The port of Baudette, Mn., located about 60 miles (95 km) west of International Falls, offers a viable alternative for both northbound and southbound travellers.
Baudette is open 24 hours a day, with no bridge-crossing fees.
As previously reported, the construction project at International Falls is part of CBP’s efforts to deploy radiation portal monitors at airports, seaports, and land border crossings throughout the U.S.
A radiation portal monitor is a detection device that provides CBP with a passive, non-intrusive means to screen trucks and other conveyances for the presence of nuclear and radiological materials.
These systems are capable of detecting various types of radiation emanating from special nuclear materials, natural sources, and isotopes normally used in medicine and industry.
The portal monitors do not emit any radiation. There are completely safe for anyone passing by them, including children and pregnant women.
The deployment of portal monitors is an important component of CBP’s multi-layered strategy to prevent the introduction of nuclear and radiological materials into the U.S.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
