Does The Soo Lock Study Guarantee A New Lock Will Be Built?

The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie are one step closer to getting a makeover, although this isn’t the first time that’s happened.

The Army Corps of Engineers recently received the green light, and $1.35 million, to study replacing two small locks – which allow large ships to travel from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes – with one large one.

State Senator Wayne Schmidt says doing so would provide insurance in case the lone large lock goes down.

He says that would have a multi-million dollar ripple effect and would cause Michigan’s unemployment to dump into the double-digits.

While Schmidt says the study is a good first step it doesn’t guarantee the project will move forward.

Congress first authorized funding for a new lock and in 1986 and in 2009 there was a groundbreaking ceremony but the money – and new lock – have never materialized.