Truckers using the Sweetgrass, Mont., border crossing into Coutts, Alberta, Canada can expect more delays over the next year as a new joint U.S.-Canadian port is built.

Ross Lyle, assistant port director of the U.S. Customers Service, told a group of Alberta Motor Transport Assn. members at their annual conference recently to expect delays as construction coincides with the heightened security following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Most of the facility, including joint-use rooms, will be built on the U.S. side. Even inside the building, "We can't go into Canada with our guns," Lyle said.
The AMTA recently met with U.S. Customs officials to work out some potential problems with plans for the new facility. For instance, there is only a 16.8-foot clearance for the walkway and canopies planned, meaning larger loads will still have to use the bypass road to the east. The brokers are all located in Coutts, which will be a hike for drivers. The northbound parking lot will hold 33 trucks and trailers, which will not be enough on Mondays and Fridays. The southbound parking lot will hold 20 trucks and trailers and is said to be poorly designed.
To keep the flow of trucks moving, Lyle recommends a greater emphasis on pre-release systems, where trucks are cleared before they reach the actual border crossing.