FORT ERIE, Ont. — The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority has officially opened the Peace Bridge’s expanded and updated plaza, which includes several new features.

The redevelopment of the Peace Bridge plaza will help reduce border congestion and expand infrastructure capacity, the border authority says.

For transport, the new plaza has relocated the toll band from the American side to the Canadian plaza; construction of three additional primary truck inspection booths on the American plaza and construction of a truck staging area on the Canadian side; and improvements to general security on the plazas.

Other features include: a new Travellers Operations Building, the Peace Bridge Refugee Processing Unit and the Peace Bridge Newcomers Centre.

“Canada’s New Government is committed to enhancing the safety and security of Canada’s border crossings, as well as investing in infrastructure improvements that help increase efficiency and reduce congestion,” said Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport.

The Peace Bridge improvement projects are valued at $50 million and were cost-shared by Ottawa and the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The Peace Bridge is Canada’s second busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S., handling 5.5 million cars and 1.3 million trucks in 2006.