Soo Locks to open in a couple of weeks

Public Radio 90, WNMU | By Nicole Walton

Published March 7, 2024 at 8:17 AM EST

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— The Soo Locks are opening a bit early this year.

While the start of the Great Lakes shipping season is usually marked on March 25^th, the 2024 season will start at 6 p.m. on March 22^nd. The early opening is due to the urging of major steel producers.

Officials with the Lake Carriers Association say they wanted to match the March 22^nd opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. They note the Seaway strike in 2023 and extreme wind events toward the end of the last operating season left the fleet with undelivered cargo.

The locks officially closed after the last vessel of the 2023 season on January 16^th to undergo critical repairs and maintenance.

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Nicole Walton

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.

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