Government will build $187 million Alaska Highway border station

TOK (AP) — A new border station estimated to cost $187 million will be built on Alaska’s eastern boundary with Canada, the U.S. government announced last Friday. The Alaska Highway border crossing is about 50 miles east of Northway Junction, the closest community in Alaska.

The funding for design and construction of the ALCAN Border Station will come from the federal infrastructure law, the U.S. General Services Administration said in a statement.

The agency said the current border station, built in 1971, is the most isolated port of entry between the U.S. and Canada. It experiences extreme weather conditions.

“After more than 50 years, it is time to bring this port into the 21st century,” U.S. Rep. Don Young, of Alaska, said in the GSA statement.

The project calls for a modern, energy-efficient station that will include operations facilities and housing for U.S. personnel. The new station will consolidate primary and secondary inspection areas in one building and shield U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel from the weather.