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The federal government has reauthorized funding for the new lock under construction at Sault Ste. Marie.
The $3.2 billion allowance is contained in the Water Resources Development Act, which was signed by President Biden Friday.
The original allocation for construction of the lock was set at $922 million in 2018. Costs began ballooning almost immediately, when construction bids came in significantly higher than anticipated.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the project cost has been impacted by labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and material cost increases.
The higher cap will allow additional funds to be authorized to complete the project. Deputy Engineer for the Detroit District Kevin McDaniels said yesterday that the remaining construction work, valued at $795 million, could be awarded over the next three years.
That would allow the project to stay on schedule and be completed in 2030.
The new lock is being built on the site of the decommissioned Davis and Sabin locks. It will equal the size of the current Poe Lock.
Currently, 89 percent of the freight that moves through the locks passes through the Poe, which is the only lock that can handle the largest freighters. The Poe was originally built in 1896, and was expanded in 1968, after the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
