Soo Locks to open early for 2025 shipping season

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District will open the Poe Lock, part of the Soo Locks, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan early to all marine traffic at 8 a.m. on March 21, marking the start of the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season.

The shipping industry requested an early season opening based on the understanding that “the 2025 winter lock maintenance will be completed by this date and an early opening will not impact U.S. Army Corps operations this season,” said Lake Carriers’ Association President James Weakley.

“Opening the Soo Locks on March 21 will provide relief to the increased pressure that the Great Lakes Navigation System will face with the influx of foreign vessels including the Canadian domestic fleet on March 22 when the Seaway opens,” said Weakley.

“Our winter maintenance period is a critical time for us to execute strategic asset renewal investments in our aging locks,” Soo Locks Operations Manager LeighAnn Ryckeghem said. “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.”

Federal regulation (33 CFR 207.440) establishes the operating season based on the feasibility of vessels operating during typical Great Lakes ice conditions.

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.

Maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock, including fabricating and replacing anchorages on gate 3, commissioning the temporary dewatering system, filling in nonoperational ship arrestor recesses on the downstream end, flushing and cleaning the hydraulic systems for the rehabilitated ship arrestor systems, navigation button rehabilitation, removing underground storage tanks and repairing the winter work bridge recesses. The Poe Lock was not dewatered this year for the scheduled maintenance.

“We worked hard to accelerate work up-front during our annual closure to optimize the short time available for critical maintenance and repairs,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nicholas Pettit said. “Due to the hard work of our crews during an extreme winter season, we’ve been able to accomplish all required work ahead of schedule.”  

During the 10-week-long winter shutdown, contractors completed the Poe Lock upstream stop log recess repairs. Kokosing Industrial Inc. of Cheboygan, Michigan, was awarded the contract on September 23, 2024, for $2.7 million. They 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.

“We welcome visitors into the park for the 2025 Soo Locks season opening,” Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs said. “The park and viewing platform will open at 7:30 a.m. to allow visitors to welcome the first ship from the viewing platform. The Visitor Center will also host its annual open house for the public from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.”

All persons entering are subject to a security search at the Soo Locks entry checkpoint. Firearms, weapons, drugs, pets (except service animals) and bicycles are prohibited.

For those unable to attend in person, the Detroit District will host a Facebook Live of the event at https://www.facebook.com/USACEDetroitDistrict starting at 7:55 a.m.

The MacArthur Lock, located south of the Poe, will remain closed for maintenance until April.