SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- The Soo Locks’ MacArthur Lock will close for the Navigation Season to conduct seasonal repairs and maintenance on December 16, 2024.
The Poe Lock will remain open until Jan. 15, 2025, or until commercial traffic ceases, whichever occurs first. The Soo Locks operating season is fixed by federal regulation (33 CFR 207.440).
“The 800-foot-long MacArthur Lock, built in 1943, is now 81 years old; this maintenance period is critical to keeping the lock in operation during the shipping season,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nicholas Pettit said.
The MacArthur Lock has seen 2,806 lockages and 5,170 passages (number of vessels) since opening April 24, 2024, to now, December 12, 2024.
“The Soo Project Office (SPO) is a multi-disciplinary team of teams that perform and oversee critical inspections, repairs and maintenance during the annual non-navigation closure period, often referred to as winter work,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, SPO Operations Manager. “With both the MacArthur and Poe locks being well beyond intended service life, it’s imperative that these national assets continue to be strategically managed and winter work activities be optimized to ensure operational reliability until the New Lock at the Soo is put into service.”
The MacArthur Lock’s winter maintenance work includes the replacement of fabricated components to ensure continued operation of Gate 2, replacement of steps and concrete to improve safety around the lock wall edge, routine electrical and operational technology preventative maintenance, and routine maintenance to prepare for the 2025 navigation season.
The MacArthur Lock will not need to be dewatered to complete the scheduled maintenance this winter.
The team will install a temporary panel bridge across the MacArthur Lock. This panel bridge will provide the ability to mobilize materials and equipment to the job sites throughout the winter closure.
More than 4,500 vessels, carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo, maneuver through the Soo Locks annually. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are the most frequently carried commodities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system including 81 harbors and channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.
For updates about the winter maintenance work at the Soo Locks, as well as other projects around the district, follow the Detroit District Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/USACEDetroitDistrict