Additional funding helps Soo Locks construction project

What's happening: An additional funding boost will help out the Soo Locks construction project, thanks to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the 2025 fiscal year. Originally, the two U.S. senators of Michigan — Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow — were advocating for $264 million. A late push in the budgetary negotiations was able to redirect an additional $186 million to help grow and stabilize the locks that provide access to Lake Superior.

Unlocking materials: Freighters the size of football fields are only able to leave Lake Superior and travel south thanks to the Soo Locks. Getting raw materials from mines in northern Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin down to the steel mills in Indiana and Pennsylvania is a key aspect of the American economy, and multiple reports from economic think tanks and government agencies say that a shutdown of the Soo Locks could lead to a national recession.

Additional lock and upgrades to existing locks was announced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in June 2018. Since then, maintaining funding benchmarks continues to be a priority to make sure construction stays on track.  

What they're saying: “In Michigan, we know how vital the Soo Locks are. We are on borrowed time until something happens that shuts them down, which would have devastating consequences for the economy and our national security,” said Sen. Stabenow. “That’s why I’ve been fighting in the Senate for over 15 years to ensure the Army Corps has the resources and flexibility they need to build a new lock. This funding is a crucial step in keeping this project on track and finally finishing a second Poe-sized lock.” 

What's next: Work continues in Sault Ste. Marie; construction has already begun on prior stages of the project.