GSA awards $33.2M contract to T1-RJS JV LLC to expand Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine, Wash. Project aims to enhance safety, reduce wait times, boost local economy. Construction starting July 2025, completion slated for Nov 2026. Funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law & Inflation Reduction Act.
Photo courtesy of U.S. General Services Administration
The current entrance to the Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine, Wash.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) awarded a $33,203,280 contract to T1-RJS Joint Venture LLC for the design and construction of the expanded Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine, Wash., as part of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda.
The modernization project will bolster safety and security, while alleviating congestion and wait times for travelers and strengthening the local economy.
The award was made to a Pacific Northwest small business through the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development program. The North Bend, Ore.-based LLC is a collaboration between Tribal One (T1), a tribally-owned company of the Coquille Indian Tribe, and woman-owned Native American-owned RJS Construction Inc.
The GSA said construction is expected to start by July 2025, with "substantial completion" slated for November 2026, The Northern Light reported.
Photo courtesy of U.S. General Services Administration
"The Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry is another example of how the Biden-Harris administration is Investing in America to keep our country safe and build a more sustainable future while expanding opportunities for small businesses," GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said. "These investments are a triple win –– creating good jobs that boost our economy and national security, saving taxpayer dollars through reduced energy costs, and building a stronger and more prosperous future for our communities."
The Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry expansion project will modernize the port, altering its traffic configuration to meet the needs of the traveling public better. GSA plans to add four primary vehicle inspection lanes and one outbound inspection lane to the port and to further support the NEXUS program. Additionally, the port will have enhanced secondary inspection capabilities, including six enlarged bays for vehicle inspections. All inspection areas will include extended overhead canopies, new pavement and upgraded lighting.
The port expansion is funded with $25 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $8 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA funds are being used to construct new lanes and canopies using low-embodied carbon concrete and steel.
The port, which connects State Highway 543 in Blaine with the Pacific Highway in Surrey, British Columbia, is a full-service 24-hour operation and one of the busiest United States/Canada ports in the western United States, The Northern Light reported.
The port, which was last expanded in 1999 has seen the amount of noncommercial vehicle traffic grow in recent years, although it is predominantly used for commercial vehicles, The Northern Light reported.
The project's material-related emissions will be reduced by an estimated 190 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to industry averages for the steel and concrete being installed. That is equivalent to the emissions a gas-powered car would generate by driving around the Earth 25 times. Material selections include over 4,900 cubic yards of low embodied concrete that meets GSA's "Top 40%" global warming potential threshold.
"You cannot have a big-league economy with little-league infrastructure. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, more people and goods will be able to safely and efficiently travel across the U.S.-Canada border at the Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine –– the largest and busiest port of entry in the Pacific Northwest," U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, said. "A more modern port of entry will also reduce congestion and wait times for travelers, improve public safety, and further promote cross-border trade and tourism in the United States and Canada."
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