Grand Portage Port of Entry set for major modernization upgrades beginning in 2026

Starting in summer 2026, the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry near the Canadian border will undergo construction to upgrade and modernize existing buildings and facilities.

The port of entry improvement project has been in the works for over five years and has involved numerous stakeholder meetings, feasibility studies, design review meetings, and an environmental impact assessment.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) states that the project’s goal is to provide necessary operational space, reduce traffic congestion, facilitate trade and travel volumes, and enhance safety conditions at the port of entry. GSA oversees a national portfolio of federal buildings, manages federal contracts, and provides technology services for numerous federal agencies.

The Grand Portage Land Port of Entry is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but exists within the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation. It is situated near the Pigeon River and is a port of entry for vehicles and pedestrians crossing the U.S.-Canada border between the Grand Portage Reservation and Ontario, Canada.

During a 2019 feasibility study, GSA determined that the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry did not meet CBP standards and identified existing deficiencies.

Shortly thereafter, in 2021, GSA was awarded $3.4 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to select 26 land ports of entry for improvements and modernization. The Grand Portage Land Port of Entry was selected as one of the 26.

The project will include new construction of a main building, a commercial inspection building, a non-intrusive inspection building, staging areas, primary inspection lanes, upgraded utilities, and the incorporation of renewable energy technologies.

Rendering of one of the modernized buildings | Graphic by GSA

GSA states the upgrades will improve security, efficiencies, and capacity at the port of entry. The project will also expand the port of entry’s footprint from 5.7 acres to approximately 10.4 acres. The upgraded facility and grounds, once completed, will include five lanes, each equipped with a CBP officer inspection booth.

In a Dec. 8 press release, GSA announced the award of a $105 million design-build construction contract to McGough Construction, a Duluth-based company, to carry out the improvement project. The announcement follows the completion and publishing of the final environmental impact statement on May 9.

McGough Construction has completed several projects in Grand Marais and along the North Shore, including most recently the new Grand Marais City Hall building.

Throughout the multi-year process, the Grand Portage Band has been working with GSA and other federal and state agencies on the project. The Grand Portage Band has been involved in consultation and project review meetings and, in July 2023, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GSA to act as a cooperating agency.

GSA’s Great Lakes Region Public Buildings Service Commissioner Angel Dizon said in an August 2023 press release following the MOU, “We are proudly building strong relationships and working closely with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.”

Proposed Layout of Grand Portage Land Port of Entry | Graphic by GSA

GSA Acting Administrator Mike Rigas said in the Dec. 8 press release, “The Grand Portage Land Port of Entry project is another example of how GSA partners with other federal agencies to deliver for the American people.”

Now that the design-build construction contract has been awarded to McGough Construction, construction is anticipated to begin in late spring or early summer of 2026. Construction is expected to occur for three years, with substantial completion in spring 2029. The Grand Portage Port of Entry will remain operational throughout the construction process.

Kalli Hawkins December 9, 2025