A busy western New York border crossing has been approved for a $50 million upgrade meant to shorten wait times.

Sen. Charles Schumer says waits of up to three hours at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, north of Buffalo, have deterred Canadian shoppers from visiting U.S. attractions and have hurt the economy.

Schumer was at the bridge on Tuesday to announce the approval of federal funding by the Customs and Border Protection and General Services Administration.

Approximately 3 million passenger vehicles cross the bridge every year, in addition to buses and commercial trucks.

The project calls for increasing the number of car lanes from six to nine and adding two truck lanes to the existing four. A new administration building and separate bus-processing facilities also are in the works.

(AP)