UPDATE 10/3: The road and ramp closures that were in place have been lifted, and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission and Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority are no longer asking commercial drivers to avoid the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Peace Bridge crossings.
ORIGINAL: Commercial drivers experienced another day of significant delays on Thursday while trying to cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge.
The 190 South exit at Porter Avenue remained at a standstill Thursday morning, with several roadways and ramps around the Peace Bridge still closed to manage the backup of commercial traffic.
Kenneth Garcia, traveling from Delaware to Canada for a weekend wedding with his fiancée, Linda Laird, found himself in a passenger vehicle caught in the middle of a long stretch of tractor-trailers.
“Very frustrating,” Garcia said. “It’s just terrible. It gets tiring.”
Laird echoed the frustration.
“Frustrating, very frustrating,” Laird said.
The couple was stuck in traffic for close to two hours before seeing some movement in the backup.
WATCH: Commercial drivers heading to Canada face another day of traffic delays on Thursday
Federal, state, and local resources collaborated to manage the backup, aiming to alleviate the burden on city traffic. Trucks slowly looped around and lined up on Busti Avenue, moving one step closer to the Peace Bridge entrance.
For commercial driver Mohsen Bani, the delays have been particularly severe. His typical trip from Pennsylvania to Mississauga, Ontario, normally takes seven hours.
“First time in 10 years I am working, I see this problem,” Bani said. “I’ve been stuck right now..38 hours. 38 hours!”
To pass the time during the extended delay, Bani has had to get creative.
“Watching a movie, checking the news, talking to friends, cooking, eating,” Bani said.
The Canada Border Services Agency said in a statement to 7 News on Thursday that while the original systems outage that caused the bridge backups on Tuesday has been resolved, commercial drivers continue to experience delays as the agency resumes normal processing and works to clear a backlog of requests received during the outage.
Due to the ongoing delays, both the Buffalo & Fort Erie Peace Bridge Authority and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission have asked that all Canada-bound commercial carriers avoid the Peace Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge crossings until further notice. The organizations said queuing areas within the Western New York region are at or beyond capacity.
For Bani, the wait has become the longest trip of his professional driving career.
“It’s boring, wasting time. We have to get back home,” Bani said.
The NYSDOT, NYS Thruway Authority and New York State police issued the following joint statement on Thursday night:
Similar delays were also impacting drivers at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. You can watch our report below and read more here.
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