Soo Locks. Photo: U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers
Posted on 10/26/2018 10:06:28 AM PDT by Oatka
President Trump has signed into law sweeping bipartisan legislation that authorizes federal funding for a wide range of water infrastructure projects across the United States, including construction of a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which passed the Senate by a vote of 99 to 1, includes the Soo Lock Post-Authorization Change Report that authorizes construction of a second Poe-sized lock.
“A second Poe-sized lock was authorized in 1986 but has languished under several Administrations. It was President Trump who made this a national priority,” commented James H.I. Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association, the trade association representing U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes.
The locks at Sault Ste. Marie allow vessels of over 1,000 feet long to move between Lake Superior and the lower four Great Lakes.
In a typical year, as much as 80 million tons of cargo pass through the Soo Locks, made up mostly iron ore for steel production, but also significant volumes of coal, grain and limestone. Due to size limitations, approximately 90 percent of that cargo transits the Poe Lock, as opposed to the smaller MacArthur lock.
“For far too long America’s economy has been at risk because we have only one Poe-size lock,” said Weakley. “The Department of Homeland Security predicts 11 million Americans will lose their jobs if the Poe Lock is down for just six months. President Trump’s signing of this bill means we can now concentrate on funding the lock.”
The new lock is projected to cost approximately $922 million and take seven years to build.
Is a Poe anything like a Smoot?
A couple of small bombs in the bottom of one of the big carriers would shut it down for a long time.
This is all about making things, not importing things.
NTOWY
Yea!
We shall name it Edgar
One Poe Lock misses work and everything falls apart.
Are we allowed to talk about this?
Money well spent.
Agree. There are certain infrastructure projects that government can do that function as investments in the nation and our future. This is one of those.
I see what you did there.
I think it is probably also about exporting things.
As the day goes by, things get stranger and stranger.
>>Is a Poe anything like a Smoot?
It’s about 588 and a quarter Smoots..
This has been known for decades. After Pearl Harbor and 9-11, the Locks were one of the first things to get tons of extra security.
>>Is a Poe anything like a Smoot?
Actually, I take that back.. it’s only 179.1 smoots. I forgot to convert from metric..
I just cut and paste. :-)
queue democrat environmentalists protesting in the streets
Fair point ... much of that grain likely goes overseas. The coal, iron ore, and limestone are the makings of steel. The stuff used to be used right here in USA. Should still be.
stalled since 1986, President Trump makes REAL infrastructure a priority (as opposed to obama’s trillion dollar waste of money repaving a few miles of road in every county ... i think they spent more money on the big stimulus project signs than the actual paving in my county ... really disappointed in that one; i was hoping the I-70 Eisenhower tunnel under the continental divide might get a 3rd bore, but all we got was a few miles of road resurfacing in each county)
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