SAULT STE MARIE (WWJ) -- This Sunday, the final wave of marine traffic will make its way through the famous Soo Locks before the channels close for yearly maintenance.
Constructed in the St. Marys River between Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and neighboring Ontario, the Soo Locks allow large trade ships to move between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes.
By raising or lowering the water level between two sealed gates, the locks create a safe crossing over a 21-foot sandstone drop that ships could never navigate on their own, per the Soo Locks' official website.
The current pair of channels, which can move ships "up" or "down," are the Poe Lock and the smaller MacArthur Lock.
According to Soo Locks Operation Manager LeighAnne Ryckeghem, the locks are shut down every winter from January 15 to March 25 for critical repairs. This 10-week period is known as the non-navigation season, as the locks are closed to marine traffic.
Starting at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night, all waiting vessels will pass through the locks before they are officially shut down.
In addition to working on the current locks, a new Poe Lock is under construction and is expected to be open to commercial traffic in 2030.
"It is 55 years old," Ryckeghem said of the current Poe Lock, "so it is aging infrastructure."
"It's time to do lots of major maintenance projects that will continue our reliability for operating during the [navigational] season."
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), who operate and maintain the Soo Locks, the current Poe Lock opened in 1969 to accommodate larger and longer trade vessels.
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