The Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University plans to construct a model of northbound traffic and wait times at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine.

The institute has received $19,160 in funding from the Washington State Department of Transportation for the project.

From Aug. 14-15, six WWU students were employed to monitor and time-stamp approximately 1,300 trucks that crossed the border in Blaine.

The border institute conducted similar studies in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

The institute’s project in 2011, which monitored southbound traffic at the U.S. Customs plaza on the Pacific Highway, resulted in a reduction of traffic delays due to a reconfiguration of highway lanes and booth usage.

University officials said the project’s findings should be of particular interest to the Canana Border Services Agency and WSDOT.