Soo Locks open for the season

SAULT STE. MARIE — Another sign of spring took place in the eastern U.P. Friday.

The Soo Locks officially opened, kicking off the 2016 Great Lakes shipping season. Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, say the 858-foot Roger Blough made its way up through the Poe Lock at just one minute after midnight, followed by the down bound Edwin H. Gott.

The locks were closed in mid-January. Since then, crews have been hard at work on critical repairs and maintenance. Work will continue on the MacArthur Lock, which endured sandblasting, structural repairs, and painting over the winter months.