Soo Locks to open early for 2025 shipping season
Courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced they will be opening up part of the Soo Locks early this year to kick off the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season. The Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan will open to all marine traffic at 8:00 a.m. on March 21.
Lake Carriers’ Association President James Weakley said the shipping industry requested an early season.
“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.
The locks underwent a 10-week-long winter shutdown to undergo repairs and maintenance after the last vessel of the 2024 season came through on January 16.
“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.”
The MacArthur Lock, located to the south of the Poe Lock, will remain closed until April.