(WXYZ) — The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie officially opened for the 2026 shipping season overnight, welcoming the first ship – which was actually a tug and barge.
At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the locks opened and the Dirk S. Vankevort Tug went through with the Michigan Trader barge.
Related: Here are the ships that went through the Soo Locks the most in 2025-26
The locks closed on Jan. 15, 2026, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Detroit District, said that harsh winter conditions in the Sault Ste. Marie area added several challenges to winter maintenance.
“Our winter closure period is essential for conducting critical inspections, repairs and maintenance on our aging infrastructure,” Soo Locks Operations Manager LeighAnn Ryckeghem said. “The reliability of Great Lakes navigation and the momentum of the American industrial supply chain depend on getting this work done.”
According to officials, maintenance crews performed a variety of critical tasks on the Poe Lock, including underfloor cleanout and manhole inspection, a five-year periodic inspection, Gate 1 repairs, Gate 4 lifting lug installation, Gate 2 concrete repairs and applying an experimental ice shedding coating.
Watch below: Video shows scale model of Soo Locks testing ice flow
“Project staff started work well in advance of the navigational shutdown in planning and resourcing projects, getting contract actions in place, and sequencing work to optimize the short time available for critical maintenance and repairs,” Maintenance Branch Chief Tim Bartlett said. “Due to the hard work of our crews during a near-record snowfall season, we’ve been able to accomplish the required work on time.”
The MacArthur Lock, located south of the Poe Lock, remains closed for maintenance until additional repairs are complete.
Annually, the Soo Locks welcomes more than 4,500 vessels carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo, including iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone.
