U.S. Senator Gary Peters visited Sault Ste. Marie this week as part of his annoual 800-mile-long motorcycle tour across Michigan.
While in tje Soo, Peters highlighted the $450 million he secured as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for the ongoing Soo Locks construction project. If passed into law, the funding Peters secured in last week’s Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act should allow the Army Corps to award construction for Phase 3 (New Lock) of the Soo Locks project, putting it on a path towards timely completion.
The new lock would improve efficiency of operations, supporting economic growth across Michigan and the country and ensuring our national security by strengthening critical supply chains. Peters was joined by Don Gerrie, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, and LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Locks Operations Manager.
“The Soo Locks embody the critical role that Michigan plays in the global economy and our national security,” said Senator Peters. “We’ve been able to help fund this project by putting politics aside and working across the aisle, and I will keep doing everything I can to ensure this project can get across the finish line.”
“The Soo Locks are not only important to Sault Ste. Marie’s economy, they are central to our identity as a community,” said Don Gerrie, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. “It is crucial that the Soo Locks remain operational in the Saint Mary’s River, and Senator Peters has been a key partner in our efforts to get this new lock built.”
“The Soo Locks are a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers No-Fail mission, the Poe Lock is noted as being one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in the nation with 88% of the nation’s iron ore being restricted to the Poe Lock due to vessel size,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Locks Operations Manager. “The New Lock project will provide much needed resiliency, essential for the Nation’s Manufacturing Supply Chain, Economy, and National Security.”
“Nearly 500,000 visitors travel to Sault Ste. Marie to see ships pass through the Soo Locks each year, helping to support the local businesses that keep our economy strong,” said Linda Hoath, Executive Director of the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I want to thank Senator Peters for his work to secure the funding needed for this project, and I look forward to welcoming visitors to Sault Ste. Marie to see the new lock once completed.”
The Soo Locks are vital to both Michigan’s and our nation’s economy. The Soo Locks allow ships carrying essential cargo – such as iron ore pellets used to make steel for autos, construction and appliances – to travel between Lake Superior ports and those in the lower Great Lakes. Reports have indicated that if the existing 55-year-old Poe Lock were to suffer a long closure for any reason, it could lead to a national recession. The new lock system will be the same size as the Poe Lock, the only lock capable of handling the largest vessels that travel through the Great Lakes.
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