SAULT STE. MARIE, MI-- Governor Gretchen Whitmer began a three-day tour of the Upper Peninsula Tuesday with a stop in Sault Ste. Marie.
Whitmer has been looking at infrastructure around the state, highlighting the need for funding to fix crumbling roads and bridges.
She toured the Soo Locks, a critical juncture in the U.S. for the shipping of material like iron ore used in the production of steel. State and federal lawmakers agree a new lock the size of the Poe lock needs to be constructed to accommodate larger ships on the Great Lakes. They say if the Poe were to be damaged or shut down, it would seriously affect the nation’s economy.
Whitmer continued her tour by meeting with Michigan Department of Transportation employees in Newberry. She later visited Tahquamenon Falls and greeted Department of Natural Resources staff.
The governor will make various stops in Marquette County Wednesday, then head to the U.P. State Fair and the Upper Hand Brewery in Escanaba Thursday.