Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Heavy delays and backups plagued Wednesday afternoon’s commute across Western New York’s busiest roads as Canadian customs officials worked to clear a backlog of commercial truck inspections.
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said a data entry problem during scheduled maintenance caused a system outage that began Tuesday morning and disrupted processing at the Peace Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge through Wednesday.
By 2 p.m. Wednesday, the CBSA confirmed the issue had been resolve,d but warned drivers could still face delays as officers worked through a buildup of requests.
“The outage has now been fully resolved. Commercial drivers may continue to experience delays as we resume normal processing and continue to clear a backlog of requests that were received during the outage,” a CBSA spokesperson said.
During the outage, primary inspection lanes remained staffed, but commercial shipments requiring inspection could not obtain electronic approval.
Officers processed shipments manually using paper forms. Officials said systems are now being monitored for stability as traffic and shipping return to normal.
The disruption caused significant traffic problems across the region. As of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC) reported multiple road and ramp closures, including:
- I-190 North at Exit 24 (Witmer Road) in Niagara
- I-190 North ramp to Exit 8 (Niagara Street) in Buffalo
- I-190 North ramp to Exit 9 (Peace Bridge) in Buffalo
- I-190 South ramp to Exit 8 (Niagara Street) in Buffalo
Officials did not provide an estimate for when traffic would fully return to normal but said efforts were ongoing to reduce the backlog.