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Soo Locks close for repairs and maintenance

DETROIT — The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., are closed to navigation until March 25, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced Wednesday. The Corps will use this time to perform critical maintenance on the lock structures.

“The Soo Locks are critical to the Great Lakes Navigation System and we have a tremendous team that operates and maintains them throughout the year,” said Lt. Col. Greg Turner, district engineer. “While we’ve begun work on building the new lock, it is as important as ever that we keep the existing infrastructure in good working order — this is our highest priority.”

With the annual closure, vessel traffic ceases through the Soo Locks for the season. While closed to navigation, both the MacArthur and Poe locks are dewatered and crews are busy with a variety of maintenance projects in preparation to reopen in March.

In addition to the MacArthur Lock undergoing a formal periodic inspection and routine minor maintenance, several key actions will be completed by the Soo Locks staff, including repairs to the empty/fill valve bulkhead slots, replacement of miter gate anchorage links for Gate 6, and replacement of the miter gate bevel gears on Gate 5. For the Poe Lock, once dewatered, winter maintenance will include miter gate weld inspections/repairs on Gate 1.

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