This article was originally published on October 1, 2020 on The Restless Viking website.
Da Viking and I wanted to experience the engineering marvel of the Soo Locks. Traveling by our zodiac, Thor, brought many questions and smiles from the Soo Lock’s Tour Boat.
The people on the tour boat were calling out, “Thor! What’s your YouTube Channel?”
“Restless-Viking” R.V. announced.
Before the locks were built, ships were skidded or portaged on rolling timbers along road to traverse the twenty-one foot drop between the Saint Mary’s River and Lake Superior. The first locks were constructed in 1797. However in 1812, the American troops destroyed these locks.
In 1845 the Independence, the first steam vessel on Lake Superior, had to be “portaged” one mile. It took seven weeks to accomplish this.
Sadly, the ship sank in 1853 when its boilers exploded.
In 1855 ‘state locks’ were constructed and paid for by Michigan’s state government. There were two locks with each constructed in twelve feet in depth. By the 1870’s the community leaders and state representatives realized that the United States government should take ownership and pay for the upkeep of the locks. This took a few years to convince our country’s representatives and leaders that the locks should be managed and paid for by our national government.
The Weitzel Lock was assembled in 1881. This lock filled and drained from the floor of the unit. This dramatically reduced the current within the tank making it safer for vessels.
As ship traffic increased, the first Poe Lock was built in 1896 to replace the state locks. The Poe Lock was the first to use steel doors instead of wooden ones. This lock could move four boats at one time.
In 1905 larger ships were being constructed. At 569 feet long most large ships had to wait longer for a turn to lock through. So work was started on two new locks. Following the same plans the Davis Locks (opened 1914) and the Sabin Locks (opened 1919) were made with cement block sides and electric (steel) gates.
As ships’ drafts (the part below the water) increased in depth, the St. Mary’s River was dredged to twenty-four feet deep in 1936. The shallow Weitzel Lock would need to be replaced. In 1942 when the United States was brought into the Second World War, the locks and their steel supplies became forefront to our war effort and national security. In 1943 (less than two years of construction) the MacArthur Lock was opened.
With larger freighters running loads of iron ore and steel, a second Poe Lock was being planned to replace the first Poe Lock. Almost as soon as they started construction in 1961, it was evident that an even larger space would be needed to accommodate the vessels. So adjustments were made to the original plans and the 1,200 foot by 110 foot lock was assembled. The second Poe Lock opened the year I was born 1968.
North of the Sabin Lock is an additional channel with a small hydroelectric plant, which provides electricity for the lock complex.
Since 1986 the Sabin and Davis locks were slated to be replaced with a new “Super Lock.” On June 30, 2009 the “Super Lock” was started. However, it has taken time to organize the construction and funding. On May 8, 2020 mlive.com reported that ‘phase one’ of three was started on this $922 million project. The “super lock” is projected to be complete by November 2021.
All shipping uses the United States Locks where the single Canadian lock is used for the tour boats and recreational vehicles. It was built in 1895 and rebuilt in 1998.
Noah and Chuck went through the Soo Locks in 2018.
It takes 22 million gallons of water to raise and lower the ships when they travel through the Soo Locks. The locks are closed from January 15th through March 25th. A one thousand foot freighter can move 70,000 tons of cargo where it would take 584 train cars to transport the same amount of ore.
The Viking needs his coffee on these excursions!
Photo Credit: Andy Kursch
Engineer’s Day Open house is on the last Friday in June. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who operates the Soo Locks and Visitor’s Center, allow the public to go behind the security fence where the people are close enough to touch the ships passing through the two regularly operating locks.
Chuck and Martha Hayden, aka The Viking and Poppins, enjoy going on adventures off the beaten path. They also like to share their explorations with others. The Viking is a retired expedition leader while Poppins is a retired teacher. The two offer independent views of their journeys showcasing places, people, and cultures as they explore the world. Visit and follow them on their website and social media accounts. Website | Facebook | Instagram |YouTube
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