SAULT STE. MARIE — The Soo Locks will open the Poe Lock to all marine traffic at 6 p.m. on March 22, marking an early start to the 2024 Great Lakes shipping season.
The shipping industry requested an early season opening due the urging of major steel producers. “The St. Lawrence Seaway has announced that it will open this spring on March 22. We would like to match that early opening at the Soo,” President of the Lake Carriers’ Association James Weakley said. “We also note that the Seaway strike in 2023 and extreme wind events toward the end of the last operating season left the fleet with undelivered cargo.”
The locks closed on January 16 to undergo critical repairs and maintenance during the 10-week-long winter shutdown. Maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock, including structural inspections, maintenance, and installation of lifting lugs on the upstream miter gate. On the downstream miter gates crews installed anchorage components and completed critical structural repairs. Major rehabilitation continued on the Poe Lock’s upstream and downstream ship arrestor systems.
“We worked hard to accelerate work up-front during our annual closure, with crews working extended days and hours to optimize the short time available for critical maintenance and repairs,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nicholas Pettit said. “Due to the hard work of our maintenance crews and some mild weather, we’ve been able to accomplish all required work ahead of schedule.”
Visitors are welcome to come March 22 to watch the first ships come through the locks this season. If you can’t attend, the Detroit District will host a livestream of the event starting at 5:55 p.m. on their Facebook page.
The MacArthur Lock, located south of the Poe, will remain closed for maintenance until April 24.
