FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Fort Fairfield residents want to make sure roads are clear and town history is maintained when a new port of entry project starts in a few years.
About 15 residents attended a meeting Wednesday night at the Fort Fairfield Middle-High School hosted by the General Services Administration.
The organization plans a $35 million to $45 million project to renovate the town’s 89-year-old U.S. Customs and Border Protection station, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. When it’s finished, the building will be safer and people will be able to cross between Fort Fairfield and Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, more quickly and securely, according to the administration.
Work is expected to start around summer 2026 and finish in spring 2028. It will be a long and complex process, said Paul Hughes, the administration’s regional public affairs officer for New England.
“It’s always contingent on many things,” he said. “We’ve got the initial funding, but things can change.”
Fort Fairfield is among four Aroostook County communities targeted for improved border facilities. A new port of entry is under construction in Madawaska, and Houlton learned in June its station will get a facelift. Limestone will also see a new building. Its inspection station is also on the historic places register.
Limestone residents met with the administration Tuesday, and said they wanted the station open 24/7. Since 2019, the Limestone port has been open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That’s not a worry in Fort Fairfield, where the station on Boundary Line Road operates around the clock. What does concern the town is having the main road accessible during construction.
Both U.S. and Canadian citizens live on the Brayall Road that forms the border, and one resident has to cross through Canada to get into town, Town Manager Tim Goff said. Maintenance vehicles also need to get through to keep the road plowed in the winter.
Fort Fairfield resident Nick Budris has been hired as project manager for the Limestone and Fort Fairfield ports of entry. It’s good to have someone local in that role, Goff said.
The current border station was built in 1934 and hasn’t seen major renovations for a decade. The building is too small for current needs and doesn’t have up-to-date security technology, according to the General Services Administration. It also needs updated plumbing and electrical work.
Improvements are needed, but the building’s historic structure should be maintained, some residents said.
“We have done work at this port before, and it was all done in conjunction with the nature of the building,” Hughes said, adding the administration is working with the Maine State Historical Preservation Commission on the project.
Residents also called for improved pedestrian access, including for hikers. Fort Fairfield is part of the International Appalachian Trail that starts near Baxter State Park and goes to Quebec.
Wednesday’s session was the first of many meetings the General Services Administration intends to have as the project plans develop, Hughes said.
Even though it’s several years away, the border station project will be good for Fort Fairfield, Goff said. It dovetails with improvements the Maine Department of Transportation is planning for Main Street and should bring positive changes to the community and its Canadian neighbors.
“This is going to have benefits beyond our community,” he said.
