The 2026 Great Lakes shipping season officially kicked off Wednesday with the opening of the Poe Lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced.
The first vessel to transit the Soo Locks was the 125'x38' tug Dirk S. VanEnkevort paired with the 740'x78' barge Michigan Trader, operated by VanEnkevort Tug & Barge Inc., Escanaba, Mich.
The locks closed to all marine traffic Jan. 15, after the last vessel of the season transited the Poe Lock, beginning a 10-week winter shutdown mandated under federal regulation (33 CFR 207.440), which ties the operating season to the feasibility of vessel operations during typical Great Lakes ice conditions.
During the closure, maintenance crews completed a range of work on the Poe Lock, including underfloor cleanout and manhole inspection, a five-year periodic inspection, Gate 1 repairs, Gate 4 lifting lug installation, Gate 2 concrete repairs, and the application of an experimental ice-shedding coating. Additional maintenance was completed simultaneously on the MacArthur Lock.
"Our winter closure period is essential for conducting critical inspections, repairs, and maintenance on our aging infrastructure," said Soo Locks Operations Manager LeighAnn Ryckeghem. "The reliability of Great Lakes navigation and the momentum of the American industrial supply chain depend on getting this work done."
Maintenance Branch Chief Tim Bartlett credited advance planning for keeping the work on schedule despite a challenging winter. "Project staff started work well in advance of the navigational shutdown in planning and resourcing projects, getting contract actions in place, and sequencing work to optimize the short time available for critical maintenance and repairs," he said. "Due to the hard work of our crews during a near-record snowfall season, we've been able to accomplish the required work on time."
The MacArthur Lock, located south of the Poe, remains closed pending completion of additional repairs.
The Soo Locks handle more than 4,500 vessel transits annually, moving up to 80 million tons of cargo, including iron ore, coal, wheat, and limestone. The Poe Lock, opened in 1969, is 1,200' long. The MacArthur Lock, opened in 1943, measures 800' long.
