The U.S. General Services Administration is soliciting feedback from the public on the plan to modernize and expand the Lynden and Sumas land ports of entry.
The expansion project, likely to begin in 2026, will increase the capacity of Lynden’s Kenneth G. Ward port of entry from a 16-hour, limited-service port to a 24-hour, full-service port with five personal vehicle lanes and four commercial processing lanes. In Sumas, the project will expand commercial inspection lanes from two to four and personal vehicle lanes from five to six; modernize main building operations; and construct a pedestrian corridor.
The projects will require several businesses and landowners to sell to the federal government, prompting concerns particularly from Sumas residents about how it will change the already-small Sumas downtown.
The GSA’s Environmental Impact Statement outlines all possible options for the port expansions.
Lynden has three options: no action, a north-south expansion and an east-west expansion.
Sumas has four options: no action, and three options with different orientations of the main building and other structures.
The GSA is also considering two plans for construction: a concurrent construction option which would allow both ports to remain open during construction but take 24 months to complete, and a sequential construction option in which the Lynden crossing would temporarily close, but would take 18 months to complete.
The statement outlines all potential impacts of the options, considering land use; water resources; human health and safety; air quality; traffic and transportation, infrastructure and utilities; and more.
The GSA will be taking comments from community members until Thursday, Sept. 26, Public Affairs Officer Christi Chidester Votisek confirmed — an extension of a few days from the initial public comment deadline.
Comments can be emailed to lyndenlpoe@gsa.gov on the Lynden Port of Entry project and sumaslpoe@gsa.gov for the Sumas Port of Entry project.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
