What's happening: The Poe Lock, part of the Soo Locks, will open to all marine traffic at 8 a.m. Friday, March 21, marking the start of the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. The MacArthur Lock will remain closed for maintenance until April.
When did the Locks close: The locks officially closed after the last vessel of the 2024 season on January 16, to undergo critical repairs and maintenance during the 10-week-long winter shutdown. During the shutdown, contractors completed the Poe Lock upstream stop log recess repairs. Kokosing Industrial Inc. of Cheboygan was awarded the contract for $2.7 million. The company performed a full rehabilitation and repair of the upstream stop log recesses, including removal of unsound concrete, repairs, installation of new concrete, steel corner protection and steel wall armor section.
What they're saying: "Our winter maintenance period is a critical time for us to execute strategic asset renewal investments in our aging locks,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, operations manager for the Soo Locks. “This year, a number of factors worked in our favor that allowed us to safely deliver this critical maintenance and also open to navigation traffic a few days early.”
What's next: The park and viewing platform in Sault Ste. Marie will open at 7:30 a.m. Friday to allow visitors to welcome the first ship. The Visitor Center will also host its annual open house for the public from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, the Detroit District will host live coverage on its
Facebook page, beginning at 7:55 a.m.
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