Soo Locks reopen on March 25, new shipping season gets underway
SAULT STE. MARIE — Soo residents can again expect to hear the noises of passing freighters as the 2023 Great Lakes shipping season begins this weekend.
At 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, the Poe Lock will open for business and officially begin taking in freighters for the season.
The Soo Locks service the shipping industry of the Great Lakes by allowing ships to pass to and from Lake Superior through the St. Marys River. This shipping lane is vital for various industries in the Great Lakes region, including the automotive industry.
The schedule of the shipping season is regulated by the government and is based mostly on how frozen or thawed the lakes are. The locks open every year near the beginning of spring and close over the winter season. This year, the locks closed for 10 weeks starting in January. While the locks were closed, crews performed maintenance and repair work.
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The Poe Lock, which is the most used lock, underwent several repairs while closed down. This work included completing repairs on the gates that control which ships can access the locks. Repairs included replacing gate concrete, repairing seals and intake grates, inspecting for future repairs and more.
“Crews also performed a wide range of other maintenance tasks, including fender timber replacements, electrical and mechanical systems inspections, and preventative maintenance on both the Poe and MacArthur locks and floating plant maintenance,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nick Pettit said in a press release.
During the winter, the Poe Lock arrestor project was also completed. The Poe Lock arrestor is what keeps ships in place while they are in the locks and prevents them from falling or damaging the locks while water is drained or added.
Unlike other maintenance, which was completed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees, this project was completed by contractors. OCCI of Missouri completed the $17.5 million project by installing new arrestor machinery and completing new downstream equipment buildings.
While the Poe Lock underwent most of the renovations, the MacArthur Lock also underwent regular maintenance renovations over the off-season and will also open up for shipping traffic on April 24.
The Soo Locks visitor center and viewing platform will be temporarily open on March 24 starting at 11 p.m. so anyone can see the Poe Lock as it opens for the season and see the first freighter come through.
The visitor center will open for the season officially on May 1. The park around the visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Soo Locks reopen on March 25, new shipping season gets underway
