LIMESTONE, Maine – Limestone is slated to get a new port of entry into neighboring Canada but residents want those upgrades to come with extended hours for U.S. and Canadian travelers.
Limestone’s port of entry is one of three in Aroostook – including Fort Fairfield and Houlton – and five in Maine to receive upgrades as part of $3.4 billion in federal funds to the General Services Administration, $195 million of which is going to Maine.
Upgrades to Limestone and Fort Fairfield’s ports will cost between $15 million and $25 million, and between $35 million and $45 million, respectively.
General Services Administration officials are currently expecting Limestone’s port of entry to be under renovation from June 2025 to May 2027, and Fort Fairfield’s from July 2026 to May 2028. Officials did not specify exact details of the upgrades but said they would focus on improving safety, security and efficiency and possibly adding spaces for inspection and processing services.
Fewer than 10 Limestone residents, including town officials, attended a public meeting that General Services Administration officials hosted Tuesday evening. But those who did said they want the port of entry to reopen 24/7 again to better serve local residents and businesses and the region’s tourists.
In 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reduced the hours for Limestone’s port of entry from 24/7 to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those hours were reduced once again to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in 2019 and have remained that way since.
Limestone’s port remains open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., largely due to recent COVID border crossing restrictions and renovations that were completed in early 2022 to eliminate water infiltration issues, which caused flooding, said Nick Budris, project manager for the Limestone and Fort Fairfield ports of entry.
Both Fort Fairfield and Houlton’s ports of entry have remained 24/7 due to higher traffic volume than the Limestone and Bridgewater ports, Budris said.
But reduced service still creates problems for Grand Falls, NB residents, who often cross over for groceries, since that region of town near Limestone’s border is more rural, said Limestone resident Theresa Howard.
“There’s no grocery store on the other side [of the border] in Grand Falls,” Howard said.
Howard also owns an AirB&B in Limestone and said that the town’s snowmobile trails bordering Canada have become popular with winter tourists who come annually.
If Canadian customers are unable to drive into Limestone at certain times, that could negatively impact businesses in town, including stores and gas stations, said Jo-Ellen Kelley, vice president of Limestone’s Chamber of Commerce.
“Businesses lose customers when people have to cross into Hamlin or Fort Fairfield,” Kelley said.
Budris said that Tuesday’s meeting is the first of many that General Services Administration officials will host as they enter conversations about the new port of entry’s design.
Officials intend to consider the needs of area residents on both sides of the border. That will include discussions on whether Limestone’s border will close temporarily during renovations and what the port’s hours might be after that, Budris said.
“I hear you loud and clear. I’m a sledder myself, I live in Fort Fairfield and I’m aware of those concerns [about the border],” Budris said.
Anyone wishing to make comments on Limestone’s port of entry can send remarks to [email protected].
General Services Administration is holding a public meeting about upgrades to Fort Fairfield’s port of entry Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Fort Fairfield Middle High School.
