Sault Ste Marie dock recommissioned with state grant

What's happening: The Carbide Dock Port in Sault Ste. Marie is poised for new life, thanks to a major reconstruction project. The project at Carbide Dock Port, originally decommissioned in 2017, will extend two roads to make it easier to access the port. Three major companies are already interested in use of the dock.

How's it funded: The project is the recipient of an $845,898 grant from the Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF), a statewide fund that finances public highway, road and street projects that are crucial to business. For the Carbide Dock Port project, the improvements will help with access to Interstate 75, the Upper Peninsula’s only interstate and key shipping route to both Ontario and Michigan. The grant will also help workers get to and from the dock in a safe and efficient manner. 

What they're saying: “The Carbide Dock Port and connecting the Easterday Avenue truck route will be economic drivers for the City of Sault Ste. Marie. With the help of MDOT, through their Economic Development Category A funding program, we will be able to finish Salmon Run Way and extend Ord Street to complete an all-season haul route in the Upper Peninsula,” said Brian Chapman, Sault Ste Marie city manager. “This funding is critical not just for the city, but for multiple counties that receive salt shipments, aggregate, and benefit from cruise ship tourism. Having a roadway of this caliber will increase our import/export power and combat supply chain issues.”

What's next: The three companies already expressing interest in the project are starting to get ready for a new access point to the Great Lakes. Northern Sand and Gravel will use the dock to receive aggregate material and bring them to its main location in Sault Ste. Marie. Central Marine Logistics is a transport company that helps commercial and cruise ships alike refuel, dispose of waste and bring in bulk supplies. Morton Salt is the third company and a new lake dock means that the company has more access to suppliers downstate instead of shipping over roads from Wisconsin.