SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— One of the Soo locks is closing down for the winter next week.
The MacArthur Lock is shutting down for maintenance at 7 a.m. on December 15. The Poe Lock will remain open until January 15 or until commercial traffic ceases, whichever comes first.
The operating season is fixed by federal regulation and is driven in part by vessel operation ability in typical ice conditions.
More than 4,500 vessels, carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo, maneuver through the locks annually. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are the most frequently carried commodities.
