Highgate Springs Land Port of Entry, Vermont

The current project will design and build a new land port of entry to replace the existing 25-year-old facility. The existing facility is not large enough to handle an expected 30% increase in traffic when construction of Canada Autoroute A-35 is completed. The shortcut link to this page is: gsa.gov/highgatesprings

Angled street-level view of a curved awning that extends from a tan brick building entrance over three paved lanes with yellow booths beside each lane, orange traffic cones and four cars lined up in one lane

LPOE details

Fact sheet: Highgate Springs LPOE fact sheet [PDF - 168 KB]

Address: 480 Welcome Center Rd, Swanton, VT 05488

Year constructed: 1997

Port size: 16.059 acres

Estimated Budget: $150–$170 million

Primary tenants:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
FDA

Current status

Design is underway; design concept scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023. The statement of work for construction manager-as-advisor (CMa) services is being developed. The draft of the environmental assessment for NEPA is being prepared.

Environmental review

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) contractor was awarded in September 2022 and the study is ongoing.

A public scoping meeting was held on January 12, 2023. Materials from the scoping meeting can be found below.

Recorded public scoping meeting

Slide presentation [PDF - 9 MB]

Project timeline

Planning Design Construction

NEPA award
September 2022

Design award
December 2022

Construction start
April 2026

Substantial completion
October 2027

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

We received $3.4 billion to invest in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The law provides funding for LPOE modernization projects that will create new good-paying jobs, bolster safety and security, and make our economy more resilient to supply chain challenges — all while serving as models for sustainability and innovation.

Sustainability opportunities

We will increase energy and water efficiency (including renewable energy and fossil fuel free measures), adhere to sustainable design principles, and minimize climate risk liabilities above the minimum performance criteria in a manner that is life cycle cost-effective.

  • Net-zero ready
  • 80% fossil fuel-energy generated reduction
  • Green Proving Ground technology
  • LEED Gold/SITES Silver
  • Whole-building embodied carbon reduction

Community impact

The Highgate Springs LPOE is one of the three busiest ports in New England, processing roughly 97,000 commercial vehicles and 475,000 personal vehicles prior to COVID-19.

This project is a major economic factor in Vermont and New England.

It aims to help improve traffic flow and border security while decreasing wait times for travelers when Canada Autoroute A-35 is completed.

Last Reviewed: 2023-05-02