Detroit District News

The Great Lakes' 2023 shipping season will commence on March 25 with the opening of the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District announced.The operating season is fixed by federal regulation and driven in part by the feasibility of vessels operating in typical Great Lakes ice conditions.The Poe Lock closed January 16 to undergo critical repairs and maintenance during the 10 week-long winter shutdown. Maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District New Lock at the Soo Project in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is reauthorized in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2022 on Dec 23, 2022. The project reauthorization amount is $3.219 billion.An authorization sets how much money agencies and programs can receive, and how they should spend the money. This authorization makes it possible for the project to maintain efficient funding eligibility. Due to recent cost increases, the project cost was estimated to exceed the previously authorized spending limit.“With continued funding…

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.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District in concert with the Philadelphia District and the Marine Design Center awarded a 11.4 million contract to Southwest Shipyard in Houston for a new crane barge on the St. Marys River.“The new crane barge will perform critical lock and hydropower facility maintenance at the Soo Project Office (Soo Locks),” said Justin Proulx, Chief of the St. Marys River Section. “Additionally, the new vessel will support channel maintenance and will be ready to respond to critical maritime incidents on the St Marys River…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit District said it anticipates Phase 3 construction will start this summer following a $1.068 billion contract for the New Lock at the Soo Phase 3 awarded July 1, 2022.This contract allows the contractor Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC (KAT), a joint venture headquartered in Westerville, Ohio to begin constructing the largest phase, the new lock chamber and rehabilitation of the downstream approach walls. With continued funding, the remaining work, valued at $803.95 million may be awarded over the next three years.

Conrad Shipyard has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to design and build two tugboats for use in the Great Lakes.The two CELRE Detroit Ice Class tugs will be used for the mobilization of floating equipment on the St. Mary’s River, upper Great Lakes and the Soo Harbor, as well as breaking ice up to 12 inches thick and performing ice scraping operations at the St. Mary’s Falls Canal.Conrad won out among five bidders for the $16,983,710 firm-fixed-price contract.Shipbuilding work will be performed in Morgan City…

Great Lakes Shipyard, a division of The Great Lakes Towing Company, has recently been awarded government contracts amounting to more than $1.9 million.The contracts, which could be valued at nearly $2.5 million if all options are exercised, include haul out, maintenance, and repair work of the following vessels: U.S. Coast Guard: Cutter KATMAI BAY; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Detroit District Floating Plant (Tug DEMOLEN and Crane Barge VELER); and Buffalo District Barge BC6214.Great Lakes Shipyard is a regular provider of maintenance and repair services to the federal government…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said the New Lock at the Soo project is on schedule as construction resumes on phase one and is initiated on phase two this week.Trade West Construction, Inc., and joint venture Kokosing-Alberici began moving equipment to the site the week of April 12 and 19.Trade West continues phase one, deepening the upstream channel to the Sabin and Davis Locks, which will be replaced by the new lock. USACE officials expect phase one completion in November 2021.Kokosing-Alberici is starting phase two this year, rehabilitating the upstream approach walls.

The second phase construction contract for the New Lock at the Soo has been awarded to Kokosing Alberici LLC of Westerville, Ohio, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced Thursday.The much-anticipated mega-project will require three phases of construction. Kokosing Alberici's $111 million contract to complete the second phase will stabilize the existing approach walls, allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. Construction will…

Embracing and spanning the full breadth of Great Lakes geography and business mix, GLG’s Joe Starck has his multi-missioned firm looking to the future – in more ways than one.The Great Lakes Group (GLG) takes its beginnings from its 1899 incorporation by industrial icon John D. Rockefeller, who formed the Great Lakes Towing to satisfy the demands of a Midwest industrial revolution that brought bigger ships to the region. Existing vessels, unable to keep up with demand, were supplemented and replaced by a fleet of as many as 100 tugboats; the first steel tugs in the region. GLG still has a tug that was part of that original operation.

Great Lakes Shipyard announced it has completed a multi-vessel drydocking and repair contract for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Detroit District Floating Plant, and all vessels were redelivered on December 28, 2015. This was the first time the Detroit District Floating Plant has been drydocked using Great Lakes Shipyard’s 700 metric ton capacity Marine Travelift. The shipyard hauled out Tug Demolen and Deck Scow BC-6576 on October 26, 2015 and Crane Barge Veler on October 27, 2015.

Great Lakes Shipyard announced it has been awarded a contract from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Detroit District for the drydocking and repairs of the Floating Plant, based at the Detroit Field Station. The shipyard will perform routine drydocking, maintenance and repairs of the Tug Demolen, Crane Barge Veler and Deck Scow BC-6576. In addition to drydocking the vessels, the yard’s work includes underwater hull cleaning and maintenance; inspection of propulsion and steering systems…

Great Lakes Shipyard has been awarded a contract by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Detroit District for the drydocking and repairs of the Floating Plant, based at the Detroit Field Station. The shipyard will perform routine drydocking, maintenance and repairs of the Tug DEMOLEN, Crane Barge VELER, and Deck Scow BC-6576. In addition to drydocking the vessels, work includes underwater hull cleaning and maintenance; inspection of propulsion and steering systems; sea valves maintenance; bearing inspections; and other routine cleaning, maintenance and repairs.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced the MacArthur Lock, located on the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., is experiencing mechanical issues and will be taken out of operation for repairs.   One set of gates on the navigation lock is not closing properly. The staff at the locks is working to determine the specific problem with the lock gates. The Corps will dewater the lock so the cause can be determined. After that, the Corps will determine the appropriate course of action.   The current estimate for this outage is a minimum of 10 days. The Corps has notified the shipping industry of the expected delays to navigation as ships traditionally traversing the MacArthur Lock will be routed through the Poe Lock.

Moran Iron Works, Inc. (MIW) was contracted to fabricate, galvanize and deliver two bulkheads for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District for installation in the Soo Lock Complex located in Sault Sainte Marine, Michigan. The bulkheads are used when dewatering the locks to enable a safe work environment for maintenance and repairs to be performed during the annual lock closure each winter. MIW said fabrication was completed on time, and delivery took place in May 2015 to accommodate an expedited turnaround requirement.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District awarded a contract for dredging at Duluth-Superior Harbor in western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The $1,393,900 contract was awarded to Roen Salvage Co. of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The firm will dredge 114,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor and deposit the dredged material at the 21st Avenue West embayment, a shallow cove on the Duluth side of the harbor. The dredging will begin in mid-August and be complete by mid-November. Lt. Col. Robert Ells, District Engineer, said, “North America’s industrial and manufacturing heartland relies on the low-cost waterborne transportation of commodities such as iron ore, coal and limestone from Duluth-Superior Harbor.”

Lake Michigan-Huron sets all-time record for lowest monthly water level. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District through its Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office reports a preliminary new record low water level for Lake Michigan-Huron for the second month in a row. The new record low of 175.57 meters or 576.02 feet is not only the lowest January monthly average water level ever recorded, but also the lowest monthly average ever recorded for any month over the official period of record for Great Lakes water levels, which extends back to 1918. The Corps issues water level forecasts for the Great Lakes in coordination with Environment Canada…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the completion of two contracts that initiated construction of the proposed new Poe-sized lock at the Soo Locks, located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. TAB Construction Company of Canton, Ohio, completed the installation of two coffer dam cells at the Soo Locks as the first step in creating a replacement lock at the Soo. The contractor used the $3,184,534 contract to complete construction of a coffer dam at each end of the Sabin Lock to allow for dewatering as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepares for future construction. The coffer dams were constructed, in simple terms, by driving steel sheet piling, in a circular pattern, into bedrock then filling the cells with stone material.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, awarded a more than $2m contract to the Roen Salvage Company of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., to dredge Green Bay Harbor. The firm will dredge 131,000 cubic yards of shoals from the harbor and place the dredged materials in a confined disposal facility. The $2,066,400 contract calls for the work to be done this summer. The deep draft harbor requires annual maintenance dredging. “This is an important harbor for Midwestern industry and the local economy,” said Lt. Col. James Davis, district engineer. “Coal, limestone, cement, salt, and liquid asphalt are among the many raw materials shipped in and out of this port.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a dredging contract for Ontonagon Harbor on Lake Superior in the western Upper Peninsula. The $328,350 contract was awarded to Great Lakes Dock & Materials, LLC, of Muskegon, Mich. It calls for dredging 50,000 cubic yards of shoal material, which will be deposited on the lakeshore as beach nourishment. Work is scheduled to begin in early June and wrap up in July.