LEWISTON, N.Y. (July 15, 2005) — A pilot project to man the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge at the Ontario-N.Y. border with Food and Drug Administration officials on weekends will become permanent.

Starting this Sunday, July 17th, the FDA will provide coverage at Lewiston Bridge on all Sundays by remotely reviewing entries for live trucks (truckers actually at the bridge) from the Alexandria Bay office from the hours of 3:00pm to 9:00pm. The FDA says that food carriers will be notified if coverage will not be provided, for whatever reasons.

A pilot program introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clear trucks at Lewiston, New York on Sundays has become.

The Ontario Trucking Association has been lobbying for Sunday coverage at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and was informed recently that the pilot program started a month ago would be incorporated into standard operating procedure.

The U.S. Port of Entry at Lewiston, New York is the second crossing along the Niagara River to offer FDA Sunday coverage and joins the Port of Entry at Buffalo, which commenced Sunday coverage back in March of this year.

The addition of Sunday coverage has given carriers the flexibility to move and clear loads on Sundays adding efficiencies to their operations, says OTA.