SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— The Soo Locks are scheduled to close to marine traffic next week.
The locks will shut down for seasonal maintenance and repair beginning at 11:59 p.m. on January 15 or until commercial traffic ceases.
This winter maintenance period, the MacArthur Lock will not be dewatered and will close for the season when the weather or ice conditions make operation unsafe and/or inefficient, or when the Poe Lock closes, whichever comes first. The MacArthur Lock is scheduled to reopen in late April 2026.
The Poe Lock will be dewatered during the maintenance season and is scheduled to reopen on March 25.
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 among the most frequently carried commodities.
Opened in 1969, the Poe Lock is 1,200 feet long. The MacArthur Lock opened in 1943 and is 800 feet long.
