VANCOUVER, B.C. – Industry Minister David Emerson together with B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon have announced the completion of a southbound dedicated NEXUS/FAST lane at the Pacific Highway border crossing.

“The completion of this project will go a long way toward improving the movement of people and goods across our borders, something that is vital to the health of our economy,” said Emerson. “This innovative technology will lead to fewer delays for travellers and area residents while helping to better facilitate the flow of trade to and from the U.S.”

The improvements, which began this summer, were undertaken to improve the safety and efficiency at the Pacific Highway border crossing. They include the construction of a NEXUS lane for low-risk users who have passed a rigorous security screening process by both Canada and U.S. customs; a FAST truck lane for registered commercial vehicles; a truck staging area; and a new two-lane road behind the duty free building to give access to the truck parking lot and staging area and to keep non-FAST trucks from blocking NEXUS and FAST lanes.

Over $23.9 billion in goods are transported between British Columbia and the U.S. each year by commercial vehicles. The Pacific Highway crossing is Canada’s fifth busiest border crossing – averaging over 3,000 truck crossings per day.