The Soo Locks

I have probably been coming up to the Soo Locks for at least 30 years now. Each time I come up, I am amazed at the accomplishment. This time, I was greeted by a new feature as they replaced one of the observation towers with a bigger one that goes had two stories of observation decks. There also isn't glass which is good for photography.

The Soo Locks are comprised of 5 locks, four which are located in the United States and one in Canada. They are located in Sault Sainte Marie (Michigan and Ontario) which is the oldest European Settlement in the Midwest and the oldest continuous settlement in North America.

The first locks were completed in 1855. In order to get from Lake Superior to Lake Huron, a ship would have to go down by 21 feet. In order to foster trade across the lakes, the locks had to be constructed. Approximately 10,000 ships pass through the locks per year. This is despite the locks being closed for approximately three months because of the winter.

This is the MacArthur lock named after the General and constructed in 1943. It is 800 feet long and 80 feet wide. It is mostly used for the smaller ships and the tour boats.
A shot of the International Bridge which connects the two Saults.

One of the people that run the locks. The locks are run by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Another shot of the MacArthur lock. The James R. Barker (in the background) is waiting to go into the Poe Lock which was re-built in 1968 to be 1,200 feet long in order to handle the 1000 footers (like the Barker). It is the only lock that can handle the larger ships on the lakes.

This is the Administration Building of the locks. The other two locks are the Davis and Sabin locks but those see little use and have been slated for replacement to take some of the load off the Poe Lock. Both were constructed in the 1910's.

This is the Aquatic Research Lab run by Lake Superior State College. It used to be a

hydroelectric plant.

Another shot of that lab so that you can see the full extent of the building.

A view of the International Bridge from Lake Superior State College. This is probably the best view of this bridge that I have seen so far.