Contractors are preparing to begin the third, final and largest phase of a long-planned project to replace two decommissioned Soo Locks in Michigan with a larger lock. The plan is aimed at taking pressure off the sole existing lock big enough to accommodate larger modern cargo vessels at the point known as the “linchpin” of the Great Lakes navigation system, and ensure that shipping will remain uninterrupted.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District awarded a $1.1-billion contract earlier this year to the joint venture Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC for the final phase of work. Congress also reauthorized in the Water Resources Development Act passed in December the “new lock at the Soo” project at an increased $3.2 billion, which allows the Corps to award another $794.5 million in contract options to fully complete the project. The work is fully federally funded, and Congress last authorized it at a lower cost in 2018.