The
St. Lawrence Seaway closed for the season on Dec. 30, after staying open for a
record 284 days, one day longer than the previous record set in 2006, the St.
Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. said.
The
Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., closed Jan. 19, three days later than
usual at the request of shippers, according to the Corps of Engineers. This
enabled over 400,000 tons of cargo to move through. The Corps operates and
maintains the locks as part of the Great Lakes navigation system.
During
the 2011 navigation season, 4,040 cargo vessels passed through the Soo Locks
carrying almost 75 million tons of iron ore, coal, grain and other commodities,
according to the Corps. In addition to cargo vessels, a total of 3,175 tour boats,
private boats and other recreational vessels used the locks this past year.
“The
locks are the linchpin of the Great Lakes navigation system, facilitating the
transport of important commodities,” said Lt. Col. Michael Derosier, district
engineer for Corps’ Detroit District. “We are proud of our responsibilities to
operate and maintain the locks.”
While
closed to navigation for the next two months, crews will be busy with a variety
of maintenance projects on both the Poe and MacArthur Locks in preparation for
another busy season.
The
Detroit District maintains a navigation system that includes 95 harbors and the
Great Lakes connecting channels that join lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron
and Erie.
The
locks are scheduled to re-open March 25.