The regular notes for the Soo Locks are getting big, so I created these notes for the new canal.
New Soo Lock that could employ thousands in Michigan pushes forward
New Soo Lock economic validation study complete, I wonder how many times these locks have been studied to no avail. The problem is that the studies themselves cost money.
U.S. House approves authorization for replacement Soo Lock (source)
State of the locks
An animated construction sequence:
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| 4:23 video |
Army Corps of Engineers budgets $75 million toward Soo Locks upgrade $75m struck me as a drop in the bucket (lock?). But a step is better than no steps since 1986 when the new lock was authorized. "If Congress appropriated the requested $75.3 million for the project next fiscal year, it would keep the project on track for completion seven to 10 years from whenever construction starts, said Lt. Col. Greg Turner, district engineer for the Army Corps' Detroit District."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a second full-size lock for the complex at Sault Ste. Marie. It would cost about $1 billion. Officials say the proposed 2020 funding would pay to begin construction of upstream approach walls, continue design of the lock chamber and finish upstream channel deepening. Lt. Col. Greg Turner says it would keep the project on track for completion in seven to 10 years. [ClickOnDetroit]
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| Phase one of New Soo Lock construction to begin Spring of 2020 The image above is an Artist Rendition that illustrates what it might look like if a Second Poe-Sized Lock replaced two of the older locks (left portion of the photo). The project has received more than $32 million in the fiscal year 2019 work plan. (Photo Courtesy: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District) |
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| USACE-Jan 19, 2022 Corps of Engineers receiving $561 million from infrastructure bill for Michigan, Great Lakes James Torgeson shared Here's a great graphic of the new lock that is being built at the American Soo. It will duplicate the dimensions of the 1968-built Poe Lock so that the 13 "footers" and other longer lakers have an alternate route in case the Poe is unavailable for whatever reason. |
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| safe_image for Smiles Up In the Great Lakes as Soo Locks Upgrade Gets Full Funding “The $479 million announced today [Jan 20, 2022] (from the IIJA) will provide the remaining funding needed to complete the new lock project – above and beyond the $480 million provided in FY2022.” |
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| safe_image for Construction of new $1 billion Soo Lock begins The 1,200-foot lock to match the Poe Lock will be completed in November 2021. Over 85% of commodity tonnage through the Soo Locks is restricted by vessel size to the Poe Lock. |
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| USACE posted The first load of bedrock arrived from the Upstream Channel Deepening of the New Lock at the Soo project on Thursday, July 16 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. We are excited about the ongoing progress on this mission to build a redundant lock at the Soo, adding resiliency to our nation's shipping supply chain! |
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| Interlake Steamship Company posted |
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| USACE Detroit posted News Story-New Lock at the Soo: Unlocking the Great Lakes SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District works on unlocking the Great Lakes by providing a much-needed resiliency at the Soo Locks with the construction of the New Lock at the Soo. The New Lock at the Soo will be the same dimensions as the Poe Lock, 1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide and 30 feet deep. Often called the “linchpin” of the Great Lakes navigation system, the Soo Locks are located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan between the upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario. The Soo Locks enable bulk carrier vessels to safely bypass the swift-moving St. Marys River rapids where the water drops 21 feet over bedrock in a three-quarter mile stretch. The St. Marys River is the only connecting waterway between Lakes Superior and the lower Great Lakes. "The New Lock at the Soo is scheduled to be complete in 2030....Since the project’s last authorization in 2018 the project’s cost increased from $1 billion to $3 billion....The Soo Locks complete more than 7,000 vessel passages a year, moving up to 75 million tons of cargos. Moving bulk cargos though the Soo Locks and across the Great Lakes saves more than $3.9 billion per year in freight costs compared to moving the same tonnage by rail or truck. One 1,000-foot vessel can carry the equivalent of seven 100 car trains with a 10,000-ton capacity or 3,000 large trucks with a 25-ton capacity each." |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted News Release: New Lock at the Soo major construction continues SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Lock at the Soo project remains on schedule as major construction continues with phases 2 and 3 this season. Joint ventures Kokosing-Alberici (Upstream Approach Walls, Phase 2), and Kokosing, Alberici, Traylor (New Lock, Phase 3) have a busy construction season ahead of them. “Since resuming major construction this season, the Phase 2 contractor has placed 13 concrete caps, bringing the total caps placed to 68 and preparation for placement of new steel sheets, steel posts and concrete panel wall are in progress,” New Lock Senior Project Manager Mollie Mahoney said. “The Phase 3 contractor plans to focus on demolition of aging structures, extensive electrical work, bridge construction, and coffer dam construction to allow for dewatering.” Read the full story: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/.../new-lock-at-the-soo.../ Michigan Department of Transportation shared |
I assume the three cranes are here because of this new construction.
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| USACE, Detroit District posted It was a busy day [July 5, 2023] at the Soo Locks with the (left to right) M/V Baie Comeau, M/V Algocanada, M/V Lee A. Tregurtha, Tour Boat Holiday, Cruise Ship Viking Octantis, USACE Derrick Boat Nicolet and USACE Crane Barge Harvey/Tug Owen M. Frederick. 📸 Carmen Paris |
USACE, Detroit District posted two photos with the comment:
New Lock at the Soo📸The aerial photo on top was taken in early June [2023].📸The aerial photo on bottom was taken in early September.Lots of new construction activities took place in the short amount of time, to include demolition of the nose piers!
Tim Groenevelt: Doesn’t look like your doing a very good job with sediment control.
Brian Bush: Tim Groenevelt that only applies to the private sector where it’s high and dry. The government is exempt from their unworkable regulations, otherwise how would you expect them to get anything done?
Marc Carr: Tim Groenevelt Remember the current in the river runs from top to bottom of each picture. Plus there are copper dams at both the up and down bound areas. The up bound one is up near the International Bridge and the down bound one is about where a couple of barges are. Notice that sediment containment is pretty much controlled within the north and south barrier islands.
Tim Groenevelt: Marc Carr if it was anyone else the Corp and the local resource board would be letting them know about it.
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| 3:08 video @ 0:16 This time lapse video was taken on the construction site between June-August and shown from three different angles. 🎥The first angle was take on the upstream end looking east. 🎥The second angle was taken on the downstream end looking northwest. 🎥The third angle was taken on the downstream end looking north. |
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| 1:38 video This video shows the upstream end Sabin Lock miter gates being cut and dropped into the lock. These gates were dropped instead of being lifted due to the deteriorating condition of the wooden gates. |
2:00 video walking through the "42 feet wide, 35 feet high and 800 feet long" scaffolding structure on the west side.
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| 0:20 video New Lock at the Soo #ProjectMonday! 🎥 The cofferbox was placed over the weekend, completing the cofferdam structure. 👷 Workers will fill the cofferbox with concrete this week. 🚧 The cofferbox will be used to run the piping from the new pump well, which will be used to dewater the New Lock, Poe Lock and MacArthur Lock once complete. |
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