The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan has closed to marine site visitors by way of 12:01 a.m. March 25, enabling Corps to carry out crucial upkeep [Photo: USACE/Carrie Fox]
The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., closed to marine site visitors January 16, marking the tip of the Great Lakes delivery season. They will reopen March 25, and, between from time to time, vessels within the Great Lakes fleet shall be present process their annual winter works upkeep — and so, too, will the Soo Locks.
Every 12 months, the Corps of Engineers makes use of the winter interval to carry out upkeep to maintain the Soo Locks working. The Detroit District staff works lengthy hours in excessive circumstances to finish a big quantity of upkeep throughout this annual closure interval. The work they carry out is exclusive, particularly given the tough northern Michigan circumstances they work in.
“Winter weather poses challenges and adds intensity to maintenance, the team is highly skilled and equipped to safely execute critical projects that allow for continued operational reliability,” LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Locks Operations Manager stated.
The Corps of Engineers has a number of tasks to finish earlier than reopening the Poe Lock in March. The MacArthur Lock is scheduled to open April 24.
“This winter a portion of maintenance projects on Gate 1 require the Poe Lock to remain full while others require the lock to be dewatered,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nick Pettit stated. “Sequencing Poe Lock maintenance/repairs allows our team to maximize the non-navigation season.”
Dewatering of the Poe Lock will start February 13. The MacArthur Lock won’t be dewatered this 12 months.
The staff will set up a brief panel bridge throughout the Poe Lock. This panel bridge will present the power to mobilize supplies and tools to the job websites all through the winter closure.
Maintenance crews will full Gate 1 spring field and lever arm repairs to incorporate changing concrete, curtain bubbler substitute, Gate 1 lifting lugs, underfloor drain system inspection, dewatering chamber inspection/clear out, Gate 1 inspection for substitute, Gate 3 inspection for structural repairs, gate jacking pedestal inspections, valve repairs, Gate 1 turning ft, Gate 3 seal repairs and culvert consumption grate repairs. The (miter) gates are the big gates serving as dams at every finish of the lock chamber permitting the water to be raised and lowered within the chamber.
In addition, crews may also carry out a variety of different upkeep duties from fender timber replacements on the piers to inspections and preventative upkeep on electrical and mechanical programs on each Poe and MacArthur Locks.
Contractors are at the moment engaged on the Poe Lock ship arrestor challenge. OCCI of Missouri, was awarded the contract in July 2021, for $17.5 million after awarded choices. This the corporate is ending the brand new downstream arrestor tools buildings, putting in the brand new arrestor equipment and changing the arrestor increase.
The Corps of Engineers is constructing a second Poe-sized lock to supply a lot wanted resiliency within the Great Lakes Navigation System. The second Poe-size lock, 110-feet by 1,200-feet, is being constructed on the prevailing Davis and Sabin Locks websites. The Davis Lock, which opened in 1914, has not been used since 2018, and solely to move Corps vessels. The Sabin Lock opened in 1918 and has been inactive since 1989. Both the Sabin and Davis Locks are too shallow for many fashionable vessels.
The Corps of Engineers contractor accomplished the primary section of building, the upstream channel deepening was accomplished in August. The challenge’s second section to stabilize the prevailing upstream method partitions wrapped up the second 12 months of building. The contractor put in 26 coffer cells, finishing all 52 and positioned 31,000 cubic yards of concrete. The upstream method partitions work will resume in Spring 2023. The closing section of building, developing the lock chamber, was awarded July with mobilization going down in October/November.
More than 4,500 vessels, carrying as much as 80 million tons of cargo, maneuver by way of the locks yearly. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are among the many most regularly carried commodities. Opened in 1969, the Poe Lock is 1,200 ft lengthy. The MacArthur Lock was opened in 1943 and is 800 ft lengthy.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 81 harbors, together with the Great Lakes Connecting Channels that be part of lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.
