SAULT STE. MARIE, MI (AP)-- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the locks in Sault Ste. Marie have opened for the 2013 Great Lakes shipping season.
Soo lockmaster Bill Campbell says the Paul R. Tregurtha was the first ship to enter the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m. Monday headed from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota. Six vessels had passed through the Poe Lock by 9 a.m. Monday.
The locks were closed on January 15 and underwent routine repairs and maintenance during the winter shutdown. The MacArthur Lock beside the Poe Lock will continue maintenance for several weeks.
Hundreds of freighters hauling coal, iron ore, grain, and other materials pass through the locks each year.
