LEWISTON, NY — On the heels of the Beyond the Border announcement made yesterday, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) announced plans to improve the U.S side of the bridge.

The NFBC operates the Lewiston-Queenston bridge and the Rainbow and NEXUS-only Whirlpool – handle seven million passenger vehicles annually. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge handles about three million vehicles and 700,000 commercial trucks each year.

“Rebuilding the Lewiston plaza is a top priority for the commission as critical improvements are necessary to help alleviate the current challenges with the processing of motor coach, commercial truck and passenger vehicle traffic,” said Patrick Brown, NFBC chairman.

The Lewiston Plaze was built in the 1960s and was based on traffic patterns at the time. The commission has long had plans to modernize the crossing, and provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection better facilities.

“With completion of a modern plaza facility in Canada at Queenston, which is being well received by Canada Border Services Agency and the travelling public, it is critical that similar improvements are made at Lewiston to allow the efficient processing of traffic in both directions,” Brown said.

Currently, the Lewiston Plaza has a total of 10 primary inspection lanes, four for commercial and six for vehicles. Secondary processing and customs office buildings are outdated, the commission said.

Plans are underway for a projected $50 million-plus development that could see the primary inspection lanes increased to 17, including 10 for vehicles, Brown said.

“This project requires coordination and approval from various governmental agencies and we are aggressively working on it with a goal of being shovel ready by spring, 2013,” Brown said.