The Corps of Engineers, Detroit District is providing notice of construction blasting activities scheduled to begin at the Soo Locks within 30 days of this announcement.
The Corps of Engineers contracted Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC (KAT) to complete construction of the New Lock at the Soo. This work includes excavation of existing bedrock in the footprint of the new lock chamber, which will be deeper and wider than the demolished Sabin Lock. The project team has chosen blasting as a means to fracture the existing bedrock to be excavated and removed. Please note that the construction contractor is using several different methods for bedrock excavation, of which blasting is only a portion. All blasting will be completed within the Soo Locks facility north of the Poe Lock.
Blasting activities will take place starting in early February for the next several months on a semiregular basis, with the schedule depending on weather conditions and other factors. The contractor is permitted to conduct blasting Monday through Sunday during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset). The Corps of Engineers and KAT do not anticipate blasting to be conducted on any Sundays at this time.
For 2025 blasting activities, the Corps of Engineers does not anticipate impacts to any public roadways or land areas outside of the Soo Locks facility. Each blast will be individually evaluated to ensure the safety of the public. During blasting, guards will be posted at all access points to ensure no persons will be allowed within 300 feet of the blast radius. Please note that this radius falls completely within the Soo Locks facility.
Marine traffic on the river will not be allowed within 1,000 feet (shown in blue) at the time of any blast detonations for recreational boats, fishermen, swimmers, and general waterborne public. Red Flag Vessels, transporting bulk fuel or other hazardous materials, will not be allowed within 2,000 feet (shown in red) during blasts. All exclusion zones are coordinated with the Soo Locks Lockmaster as well as the United States Coast Guard. Prior to blasting, an airhorn will be sounded five (5) long times indicating that the blast will occur in five (5) minutes. At one (1) minute before a blast, an airhorn will be sounded five (5) short times. Then the blast will be detonated. After the detonation the master blaster will confirm the completion of the blast and give the “all clear” consisting of one (1) long sound from an airhorn or siren. Please see the graphic below, showing the blasting location and affected marine vessel areas for 2025 work.
The New Lock at the Soo construction contract includes measures to monitor and control vibrations due to blasting. Two particular fish species use areas north of the blasting location for spawning—Atlantic Salmon and Lake Sturgeon. The vibration monitoring locations and limitations on peak particle vibrations (PPV) for the contract have been restricted to account for these spawning areas. The contractor is required to design and control all blasts to meet a maximum PPV of 1.0 inches per second at both spawning locations. This limitation is specifically in place to prevent negative impacts to fish.
Our goal during New Lock at the Soo construction is to minimize or eliminate negative impacts to the community and other affected parties. The safety measures being enacted to clear marine vessels within the affected areas will be applied immediately preceding and during blasts. Additionally, there will be no permanent explosive storage or overnight explosive storage on site at the Soo Locks facility. The safety of all accessing the waterways is a priority. If needed, the Corps of Engineers will provide additional notice related to any additional future blasting approximately 30 days in advance. This is not anticipated at this time.
The Corps of Engineers and KAT held a public meeting on 21 November 2024 to provide more information to the public. A slideshow presentation was briefed by the Corps of Engineers staff as well as KAT’s blasting specialist, blasting consultant, and vibration specialist. The presentation slides can be forwarded to you if requested. Please see the enclosed document addressing some common concerns related to blasting.
In addition to the public meeting, the Corps of Engineers will publish a press release in the coming days to share this information widely with interested members of the community. There will be updated information provided on the Corps of Engineers social media pages throughout New Lock construction on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/USACEDetroitDistrict/ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/usacedetroit/.
If you would like to directly discuss with the Corps of Engineers, we are available to schedule an in-person or virtual meeting with you. Please feel free to reach out to Carrie Fox, Public Affairs Specialist, at LRE-New_SOO_Lock@usace.army.mil for any questions regarding the New Lock at the Soo construction project.