Soo Locks Open for Cargo Ships
Despite the chilly temperatures and heavy snowfall the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Soo Locks for the start of the Great Lakes shipping season.
The Edwin H. Gott, a 1,004-foot freighter, was the first ship to enter the Poe Lock. The Gott was followed by the Roger Blough, with both ships going upbound into Lake Superior to collect iron ore.
The locks at Sault Saint Marie, Michigan are among 16 locks that form the St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system, which extends from Duluth, to the Atlantic Ocean.
"We're looking forward to the new shipping season," said Mark Barker, president of the Interlake Steamship Company based in Ohio. "Coming off the second consecutive year of heavy ice on the lakes, our vessel, the Mesabi Miner, finally left the Port of Duluth-Superior late Monday evening after loading coal at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal."
Since the Soo Locks closed in January, the Army Corps of Engineers has spent 9.5 million dollars on repairs. The St. Lawrence Seaway is scheduled to open on Thursday, April 2nd.