LIMESTONE, Maine — Hours at the Limestone port of entry, connecting the small Aroostook County town with the Canadian province of New Brunswick, have been reduced for the second time in a year. As of Sunday, Jan. 6, Limestone’s border is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The first reduction in hours occurred last July, when the Boston Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection cut back in Limestone and Bridgewater, as well as five other “low-volume ports of entry” in New Hampshire and Vermont. At that time, Limestone’s port of entry went from 24 hours a day, to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., while Bridgewater’s border went from 24 hours a day to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
CBP officials issued a press release on Dec. 21 announcing the latest decision to cut another four hours daily off the schedule at Limestone.
The adjustment was made following a “review of traffic and operations” in an effort to “better align services and resources,” according to the release. This change will help “better allocate resources to nearby locations in Maine that have a need for additional staffing during high volume time periods.”
Travelers arriving at the Limestone port of entry outside the hours of operation will be directed to the border station in neighboring Fort Fairfield, which will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The release did not indicate any changes at any other ports of entry in Maine.
In an email response to a request for further comment, Michael McCarthy of the CBP Office of Public Affairs Office indicated that he would be unavailable until the partial federal shutdown has ended.
