VANCOUVER (CBC) - British Columbians heading to the United States via the Peace Arch border crossing on the Victoria Day long weekend can expect extra delays, U.S. officials warn.

Travellers using the border crossing at Blaine, Wash., are expected to wait longer as the eight inspection booths on the U.S. side will be reduced to four beginning Monday, with one being a NEXUS lane, said Lewis Lukens, the U.S. Consul General in Vancouver.

"This is going to lead to a modern border [and] a streamlined border, but like any construction project, there's going to be some inconvenience between now and when it is finished," Lukens said.

U.S. transportation officials recommend travellers use the other three border crossings - via Highway 11 in Huntington, Highway 13 in Aldergrove and Highway 15 at the Pacific Highway crossing.

The U.S. transportation department has installed 11 traffic cameras on all four border highways and will soon broadcast border wait times on the internet.

Meanwhile, shoppers planning a trip to Bellingham, Wash., can also expect delays as construction crews are carrying out repair work on a major highway.

From Friday evening to Monday morning, the left lanes of I-5 in Bellingham will be closed between Samish Way (Exit 252) and Sunset Drive (Exit 255), as crews replace broken concrete panels.

"Starting Friday night at 9 [p.m.] through early Monday morning before the 6 a.m. commute, there will be only one lane southbound through Bellingham and one lane northbound through Bellingham as construction crews repair some of the concrete pavement," said Todd Harrison, an assistant region administrator with the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Drivers are encouraged to use I-5 during off-peak times, before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m. when delays and backups are likely to be shorter.

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