Ogdensburg bridge expected to end 2026 about $1 million below 2019 levels

The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is projected to finish 2026 about $1 million below the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority’s 2019 revenue baseline, even as auto traffic has increased from last year. The shortfall matters to the authority, which operates the international crossing connecting Ogdensburg with Prescott, Ontario.

OBPA Executive Director Anthony Adamczyk said the bridge had recorded $767,000 in lost revenue through the period covered by the projection compared with the 2019 baseline. Officials expect the gap to remain at about $1 million when 2026 ends.

OBPA officials use 2019 as the last year of what they consider normal traffic before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline. Traffic has not fully returned to those levels, according to the authority.

A separate year-end comparison put the bridge’s 2025 toll revenue about $975,925 below the 2019 baseline, according to OBPA CEO Steve Lawrence at a January 2026 meeting. Through July 2026, the year-to-date loss was reported at about $529,230 compared with 2019.

Auto traffic rises, but recovery remains uneven

June 2026 auto crossings totaled 36,737, an increase of 16.2% from June 2025. That figure was still about 31.7% below June 2019, showing why higher traffic from one year to the next has not restored the bridge’s pre-pandemic revenue level.

OBPA officials have said auto traffic is rising while truck and bus traffic remains low. Truck and bus crossings in May 2026 were down 11% from the same month a year earlier. That differs from the description of increased car and bus traffic in the initial projection, and the categories are not all moving in the same direction.

The authority has linked recent traffic levels to factors including tariffs and immigration enforcement. Those pressures have contributed to traffic levels in 2025 that officials described as comparable to periods since the pandemic began.

The bridge is part of the transportation and commercial network serving St. Lawrence County and the broader North Country, including connections between Northern New York and eastern Ontario. Lower truck and bus activity can affect cross-border commerce and travel, while changes in auto traffic are relevant to people traveling between Ogdensburg, Prescott and communities around the Thousand Islands.

Other local indicators have been mixed. Business at Ogdensburg’s Commerce Park has slowed, while Ogdensburg airport recorded a record 3,332 passengers in July 2026. Car traffic on the Seaway International Bridge was up 1.4% in June 2026, according to the bridge’s reported figures.

Traffic control and authority plans

One-lane traffic control on the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is scheduled to continue through Nov. 21, 2026. Travelers crossing between Northern New York and Ontario should plan for possible delays during that period.

The OBPA board meeting calendar lists a meeting for Oct. 15, 2026. The authority’s 2026-27 budget is being handled through its regular process.

The authority’s home page and board meetings page provide information about meetings and operations. Financial information is posted on the OBPA’s Accountability & Finance page. The authority can be reached at 315-393-4080 or obpa@ogdensport.com.