U.S. General Services Administration
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
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 |
Design award |
Construction start Substantial completion |
Local updates
The port will remain open during construction.
Project news
Check out the latest Highgate Springs project news here, as it becomes available.
Jan. 12, 2023
Highgate Springs Public Scoping Meeting Video
Sept. 27, 2022
GSA Awards Contract for Environmental Assessment as Part of Highgate Springs Land Port of Entry Project
Feb. 25, 2022
Five Border Stations in Vermont to be Built, Modernized Under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
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.