Maintenance

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan will close to marine traffic beginning 11:59 p.m. January 15, or until commercial traffic ceases, through 12:01 ...

The MacArthur Lock was opened in 1943 and is 800 feet long. Opened in 1969, the Poe Lock is 1,200 feet long. The (miter) gates are the large gates serving as dams at each end of the lock chamber allowing the water to be raised and lowered in the chamber. The project’s second phase to stabilize the existing upstream approach walls wrapped up the second year of construction. The upstream approach walls work will resume in Spring 2023. This winter they are finishing the new downstream arrestor equipment buildings, installing the new arrestor machinery and replacing the arrestor boom. Both the Sabin and Davis Locks are too shallow for most modern vessels. The MacArthur Lock is scheduled to open April 24. “Sequencing Poe Lock maintenance/repairs allows our team to maximize the non-navigation season.” The team will install a temporary panel bridge across the Poe Lock. Every year, the Corps of Engineers uses the winter period to perform maintenance to keep the Soo Locks operating. The Detroit District team works long hours in extreme conditions to complete a significant amount of maintenance during this annual closure period.