SAULT STE. MARIE, MI-- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Fred Upton plan to visit the Soo Locks at the beginning of next month.
On behalf of Michigan’s Congressional Delegation the lawmakers will join Governor Rick Snyder on the June 2 tour. They say the locks are part of Michigan’s most critical infrastructure and impact not only the shipping industry and economy, but national security.
In February the late Representative John Kivela introduced a House resolution supporting upgrades to the locks in Sault Ste. Marie. He said the Poe lock is the only one large enough to accommodate vessels carrying iron ore, coal, grain, and other cargo. Kivela said that puts the U.P. and Michigan economy at a disadvantage.
He noted relying on one lock also poses a risk to national security, as the Soo Locks are the pathway to markets throughout the Northern Midwest states.