17 May 2024

Grand Haven North Pier, Government Basin work begins Wednesday

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, will begin maintenance projects at the Grand Haven Government Basin and North Pier in Grand Haven, Michigan beginning Wednesday, May 22.  About $1 million will be spent to replenish stone at the rubble mound revetment wall on the eastern edge of the basin, replace aging timber fenders on the basin pier structure, and fill a large concrete void on the North Pier. 

24 Jun 2022

Entry period open for Detroit District annual photo contest

The Detroit District invites photographers to enter its 7th annual photo contest featuring U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites across the Great Lakes. The top 12 photographs highlighting Detroit District Great Lakes projects such as the Soo Locks, Duluth Ship Canal, piers, breakwaters or federal channels and harbors will earn a spot in the 2023 downloadable calendar. The entry deadline is 11:59 p.m. July 4, with winners determined by social media vote. The Soo Locks Visitors Center Association will award the top three photographers a plaque featuring their photo. “The photo contest is an exciting way for us to connect with our community,” said District Commander Lt. Col. Scott Katalenich. “We are pleased to continue the tradition and look forward to seeing all of the great submissions.”

19 Jun 2022

MacArthur Lock opening after seasonal maintenance, extended repair

The Soo Locks’ MacArthur Lock will open to marine traffic June 19, 2022, after completing a critical repair that took longer than expected. The MacArthur lock was set to reopen in late April but replacing the almost 79-year-old tainter valve machinery, original to the lock built in 1943, caused the closure’s 59-day extension. “The tainter valve machinery replacement contract was a very large task,” Soo Locks Construction Chief Nicholas Pettit said. “The original machinery had to be cut into pieces and removed by crane out through a small access tunnel. The new machinery had to be fabricated in sections, lowered by crane in through the small tunnel and installed inside of the lock.”