Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A system outage that began Tuesday morning at Canadian border crossings has caused significant traffic backups for a third-straight day, disrupting both passenger and commercial traffic on the I-190 in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Canadian officials said the disruption was triggered by a data entry problem during scheduled maintenance, which affected processing at the Peace Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
The Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC) reported several ramps remain closed:
- 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
WBEN received this statement Thursday afternoon from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission:
"The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) advises all Canada-bound commercial carriers to avoid the Lewiston-Queenston International Bridge crossing until further notice, due to ongoing processing delays related to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) systems outage that occurred earlier this week. While CBSA has implemented a processing systems fix, the resulting delays continue, and all adjacent queuing areas within the Western New York region are at or beyond capacity.
"Passenger and pedestrian travelers may continue to utilize regional border crossings as currently available at the Rainbow, Whirlpool (NEXUS-only), and Lewiston-Queenston International Bridge crossings."
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said in a statement that while the outage has been resolved, delays continue as officers work through a backlog. A media spokesperson declined WBEN's request for an interview.
“Although the outage has been resolved, commercial drivers continue to experience delays as we resume normal processing and continue to clear a backlog of requests that were received during the outage,” the agency said.
“Primary inspection lanes are staffed with officers to process traffic and shipments. We are actively collaborating with our partners to ensure traffic management. Systems are being monitored for stability while traffic and shipping return to normal.”
On the U.S. side, multiple agencies - including the City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York State Thruway Authority, NITTEC and State Police - declined requests for an interview on whether contingency plans are in place to address the ongoing congestion.
WBEN will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.