The final phase of the new lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie has reached 50% completion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Tuesday.
It marks a significant milestone for the project, which began in 2020. Phases one and two of the project are complete, and the final phase three contracts were awarded last year.
See updates from the construction site in the video below
The $3.219 billion investment for a second Poe-sized lock at the Soo Locks is set to be complete in 2030, officials said.
"Reaching the halfway point on this mega project is a testament to the dedication of the Corps of Engineers team and the joint-venture contractor Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC (KAT)," said Corps of Engineers Integrated Project Office Chief, Mick Awbrey "The progress made here is a direct reflection of the more than 600 people working on this project. They come to work every day committed to the successful completion of the new lock.”
Work on phase three includes "constructing a cofferdam at each end of the lock, demolishing the existing Sabin Lock, filling in the existing Davis Lock, excavating bedrock, constructing the New Lock chamber walls and floor, fabrication and installation of miter gates, installation of mechanical and electrical systems, installation of an innovative hands-free mooring system, rehabilitating the downstream approach walls and constructing a new pump well.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, KAT has completed $975 million of work. The current focus is on mass concrete placement for the concrete walls, lock floor and new pump well construction. It will take about 400,000 cubic yards of concrete for the lock.
“If you were to build an average sidewalk that you see in a neighborhood, with 400,000 cubic yards of concrete, you could build a sidewalk from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to Orlando, Florida,” Awbrey said. “It's a massive amount of concrete and we are making progress every day."
So far, crews have placed 140,198 cubic yards of concrete.
