Trump administration to shutter historic Border Road between US and Canada

March 31, 2026

The US government is closing a nine-mile Border Road between Montana and Alberta starting July 1st, ending over 80 years of informal crossings between farming communities, with the Trump administration citing increased illegal migration and drug smuggling as reasons. Although the road sits on US territory, Alberta's Warner County has maintained it for decades, and some Canadian residents actually use it to access their homes. In response, Alberta is investing $8 million Canadian to construct a parallel replacement road on the Canadian side, with construction starting in April and completion expected by summer.

Who is affected

Farming communities on both sides of the Montana-Alberta border
Two Canadian residents who access their homes from Border Road
Warner County, Alberta (the Canadian municipality that maintains the road)
Between 800-1,200 daily truck drivers using the Coutts-Sweet Grass crossing
Local residents including Ross Ford (Canadian farmer) and Roger Horgus (Montana resident)
Family and friends with cross-border relationships
The Alberta government

What action is being taken

The US government is closing the nine-mile stretch of Border Road effective July 1st
Warner County has set aside funds for a replacement road
The Alberta government is spending C$8 million to build a parallel road alongside the closed one
Construction is expected to begin in April

Why it matters

This closure ends more than 80 years of informal border crossings that have connected neighboring farming communities, fundamentally changing the relationship between American and Canadian residents who have maintained close bonds across the border. The route is economically significant, with C$15.9 billion in two-way trade crossing annually and hundreds of trucks using the crossing daily. The decision creates both practical hardships for residents who depend on the road for access to their properties and symbolizes a barrier between communities that have historically operated as integrated neighbors despite the international boundary.

What's next

Construction of the Canadian replacement road is expected to begin in April
The parallel Canadian road is expected to be completed by summer
The US road closure will take effect on July 1st

Read full article from source: BBC