LIMESTONE, Maine — International travelers accustomed to using the Limestone or Bridgewater border crossings will soon be redirected to other ports of entry after Aug. 20 if they choose to cross after 10 p.m.
International travelers accustomed to using the Limestone port of entry will be redirected to the Fort Fairfield station if they cross later than 10 p.m. after Aug. 20. Limestone is one of seven stations in the New England area that will be reducing hours of operation to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. (Courtesy of U.S. Customs)
Limestone and Bridgewater are among seven ports of entry in three states that are reducing their hours from being open full time, according to Sean Smith, a public affairs official with U.S. Customs in Boston. The Limestone station will be open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and the Bridgewater port between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m..
“The Boston Field Office is reducing hours at seven low-volume ports of entry in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” Smith wrote in an email. Limestone and Bridgewater are the only ports of entry in Maine to be affected. “This slight reduction of hours, predominantly overnight, will allow CBP (Customs and Border Protection) to reallocate staff to nearby locations that have a need for additional staffing during busy times with higher traffic volumes.”
Signs on either side of the border at Limestone will alert drivers to the new operating hours and instruct them to use the Fort Fairfield port of entry as an alternative. Travelers who normally used the Bridgewater station will have the option of heading north to Fort Fairfield or south to Houlton.
Smith said Customs officials will be distributing tear sheets to international travelers in the coming weeks to inform them of the changes before they happen.
“When the port is closed,” Smith wrote, “it will be secured with a gate and monitored by technology, to include cameras.”
Smith added that U.S. Customs is working closely with both the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to “ensure the continued facilitation of legitimate trade and travel while ensuring the security of our shared border.”
