DETROIT, MI— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ new “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative aims to speed the delivery of Civil Works projects and programs of “greatest benefits to the nation.”
It will shift the focus to core missions, direct funding to priority water resources projects, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork.
Projects for the Soo Locks are part of the initiative. The Corps continues to advance the Soo Asset Renewal Plan, which will include synchronizing efforts with the new lock’s anticipated 2030 opening, completing critical repairs of the Poe and MacArthur locks, upgrading hydropower systems, and modernizing facilities and marine assets.
Officials say maintaining the Great Lakes navigation system also depends on strategic and timely dredging across the region.
BINP aligns with fast-tracking permitting for the proposed Enbridge Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. A decision on that is expected this spring.
