BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — 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:
"We are closely monitoring the situation with the Canadian Border Services Agency, which currently has a diminished capacity to process commercial vehicles through primary inspection at the border. This has caused significant commercial truck traffic in Western New York. While this is not an issue that originated here in New York, it continues to impact the traveling public and commercial truck traffic in Western New York.
The Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority and State Police remain in constant contact with our local partners. Variable message signs warning truck drivers are visible all across the State Thruway system and on state roads in Western New York advising commercial traffic of potential traffic delays. Additionally, at the request of state agencies, the Trucking Association of New York has warned its members of significant delays at the Canadian border and the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC) has sent updates on regional traffic disruptions to the Western New York community.
Additionally, the State Department of Transportation has closed access from I-190 to the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge at exit 31, diverting all truck traffic in cooperation with New York State Police to the exit at the Summit Park Mall Staging Area.
New York State Police Troop T has assigned additional patrols to the area to assist with exit closures and monitor and manage traffic flows. In addition, Troopers are working to ensure that commercial vehicles waiting to cross the Peace Bridge are not parking on the highway.
Currently the following roads and ramps are closed in the region, as first reported by NITTEC:
- 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
All relevant state agencies are engaged in addressing this situation, including managing and advising commercial trucks to reroute and avoid these border crossings until the situation is resolved."
