Poe Lock, a key part of the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, will begin welcoming marine traffic for the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 21. With this event, the locks closed on January 16 for a winter shutdown will resume after maintenance and repair work is carried out.
According to CBS News Detroit, Lake Carriers' Association President James Weakley said, "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," pinpointing the importance of the early opening in facilitating the anticipated heavy maritime traffic.
During the winter closure, the Poe Lock avoided dewatering, and contractors carried out various maintenance tasks, from replacing gate anchorages to repairing concrete structures. Kokosing Industrial Inc., as outlined in an article by Radio Results Network, completed all of these tasks. They successfully finished a $2.7 million rehabilitation project focusing on the lock's upstream stop log recesses ahead of schedule, enabling an early opening for the shipping season.
For visitors interested in watching the first ship's transit through the locks, the viewing platform and park will open at 7:30 a.m. with Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs affirming, "We welcome visitors into the park for the 2025 Soo Locks season opening," and attention to security measures will be enforced, pets aside from service animals, as well as weapons or drugs, are not permitted as documented by Detroit Free Press. A live stream is scheduled for fans afar to broadcast the event starting at 7:55 a.m. on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page.
