New Soo Lock Half Built, on Track for 2030

Phase 3 of the $3.219 billion New Lock at the Soo is half done, and the public has until October 31 to go look at it from the park in Sault Ste. Marie. The New Soo Lock, as most people call it, is 50 percent through its final phase, ABC12 reported on September 29, and the Army Corps of Engineers says the job remains on schedule to finish in 2030. The Soo Locks Visitor Center in Canal Park stays open through the end of the month.

More than 600 people are working on the project, ABC12 reported. The contractor is Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC, a joint venture that got the Phase 3 contract in July 2022 and had finished $975 million worth of work by the end of August. Construction Equipment Guide, in an October 7 report, puts the joint venture’s home base in Westerville, Ohio.

The concrete tells the story. ABC12 reported about 400,000 cubic yards will go into the lock, and crews had poured more than 140,000 through the end of August. “It’s a massive amount of concrete and we are making progress every day,” Mick Awbrey, chief of the Corps’ Integrated Project Office, told WXYZ.

What the New Soo Lock replaces

The new chamber goes in the footprint of the old Sabin Lock. Phase 3 work includes removing the Sabin Lock and filling in the Davis Lock, then digging out bedrock for the new one, per ABC12. Crews are now pouring the walls and floor and building a new pump well, and the steel gates are being built offsite.

Construction Equipment Guide reports the finished lock will match the Poe Lock at 1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide and 32 feet deep, built from 84 concrete monoliths. The point is a backup. The Poe Lock opened in 1969 and currently handles ships carrying 88 percent of all U.S. iron ore moved by water, ABC12 reported, and the new lock gives the biggest freighters a second door if the Poe goes down for maintenance or an outage.

Phase 1 and Phase 2, already done

Phase 3 is the lock itself, but the project started years earlier. Phase 1 deepened the upstream approach channel from 24 feet to 30 feet and wrapped up in August 2022, Construction Equipment Guide reported. Phase 2 rebuilt the upstream approach walls and was substantially complete in September 2024. The Corps added $95.3 million in Phase 3 options in June 2025.

About that price tag

The $3.219 billion figure is the one ABC12 and WXYZ used in September 2026, and it matches what Congress authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. A year earlier, Engineering News-Record reported the Corps had certified a lower fully funded estimate of $2.619 billion. Detroit District spokesperson Carrie Fox called that estimate a “snapshot in time” that did not change the authorized cost. We are using the newer, higher number the TV stations cited this fall.

The visitor center is where you watch any of this. Michigan News Source reported in May that the center opened its 2026 season marking 60 years, and that it draws nearly 250,000 people a year. Last year the Corps closed it at 7 p.m. on October 31, then Canal Park shifted to winter hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Corps had not posted a 2026 closure notice as of October 19, so expect the same pattern this year.

If you go: Soo Locks Visitor Center, Canal Park, 329 W. Portage Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa County. Open daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through October 31, then closed until May 1. There is no admission for the center or the park, but everyone passes through park security. The park has a central viewing platform with an elevated view of the locks. Our piece on the Poe Lock, the gate this one backs up, is here.

The lock is due in 2030. The exhibits close on Halloween.

Continue with News

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Sources, credits, and reporting details

Sources & accountability

How this story was reported

Editorial methodAggregation

Last verifiedOct. 19, 2026

Corrections statusNo material correction note is recorded on this article.

AI assistanceResearched and drafted with AI tools. Reviewed and approved by editor Keegan O’Brien.

Verification note: Written October 19, 2026 for the 2026-10-23 edition; sources read and checked Oct. 19, 2026. AI-assisted drafting, staff desk piece.

Primary sources

1. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Phase 3 is 50% complete

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that phase 3 of the New Lock at the Soo project is 50% complete."

2. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: $3.219 billion; second lock for Poe-size ships

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The $3.219 billion project is building a second lock that can accommodate the same large ships as the Poe Lock."

3. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: On schedule for 2030

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The Army Corps says the project remains on schedule to be completed in 2030."

4. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: More than 600 workers

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "More than 600 people are working on the project."

5. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Contractor KAT, Phase 3 contract July 2022, $975 million of work done through end of August

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The Army Corps awarded the Phase 3 contract to Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC in July 2022. … The contractor has completed $975 million worth of work through the end of August."

6. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: About 400,000 cubic yards total; more than 140,000 poured through end of August

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "About 400,000 cubic yards of concrete will be needed by the time construction is finished. … Crews had poured more than 140,000 cubic yards through the end of August."

7. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Phase 3 scope: remove Sabin Lock, fill Davis Lock, bedrock excavation; walls and floor, pump well, gates offsite

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "Work during this phase includes removing the old Sabin Lock … filling in the Davis Lock … building a new pump well … underway offsite on several steel components, including the massive gates that will control access to the lock."

8. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Poe Lock opened 1969; 88% of U.S. waterborne iron ore

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The Poe Lock, which opened in 1969, currently handles ships carrying 88% of all U.S. iron ore transported by water."

9. Soo Locks expansion hits halfway point in latest construction phase — ABC12 (WJRT)

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Mick Awbrey title: chief of the Corps' Integrated Project Office

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "said Mick Awbrey, chief of the Corps of Engineers Integrated Project Office."

10. Soo Locks Visitor Center Opens for 2026 Season, Celebrates 60 Years of History — Michigan News Source

    Published May. 8, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

    Supports: Open until Oct. 31; no admission; security screening; 60 years; nearly 250,000 visitors a year; more exhibits than ever

    Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "will remain open until Oct. 31 … There is no admission to visit the center or park, however all visitors must pass through park security."

Additional reporting

1. Final phase of new lock construction at Soo Locks reaches 50%, on track for completion by 2030 — WXYZ

   Published Sep. 29, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Awbrey concrete quote; $3.219 billion used by WXYZ; more than 600 workers; 2030

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "It's a massive amount of concrete and we are making progress every day. … The $3.219 billion investment for a second Poe-sized lock … the more than 600 people working on this project."

2. USACE's New Lock at the Soo Reaches Halfway Point — Construction Equipment Guide

   Published Oct. 7, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Phase 1 deepened upstream channel 24 to 30 ft, completed August 2022; Phase 2 upstream approach walls substantially complete September 2024

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "Phase 1, which involved deepening the upstream approach channel from 24 to 30 ft., was completed in August 2022. … Phase 2, involving rehabilitation of the upstream approach walls, was substantially completed in September 2024."

3. USACE's New Lock at the Soo Reaches Halfway Point — Construction Equipment Guide

   Published Oct. 7, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: KAT of Westerville, Ohio; base contract July 2022; $95.3 million options June 2025

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The Phase 3 base contract was awarded in July 2022 to Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC (KAT) of Westerville, Ohio. … options totaling $95.3 million, awarded in June 2025."

4. USACE's New Lock at the Soo Reaches Halfway Point — Construction Equipment Guide

   Published Oct. 7, 2026. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Lock dimensions match Poe: 1,200 ft long, 110 ft wide, 32 ft deep; 84 concrete monoliths; built in Sabin Lock footprint; redundancy for Poe maintenance or outage

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The new lock will be the same size as the existing Poe Lock — 1,200 ft. long, 110 ft. wide and 32 ft. deep. … 84 concrete monoliths … provide redundancy if the existing Poe Lock is unavailable for maintenance or an unplanned outage."

5. Soo Lock Expansion Cost Revised Down to $2.62B — Engineering News-Record

   Published Sep. 15, 2025. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Corps certified $2.619 billion fully funded estimate in 2025; WRDA 2022 authorized about $3.219 billion; Carrie Fox 'snapshot in time'; does not change authorized cost

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a fully funded cost for the New Lock at the Soo of $2.619 billion. … The project was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 at about $3.219 billion."

6. Soo Locks Visitor Center announces seasonal closure — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District via DVIDS

   Published Oct. 28, 2025. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: 2025 closure at 7 p.m. Oct. 31; Canal Park winter hours 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Nov. 1; reopened May 1, 2026

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "will close the Soo Locks Visitor Center in Canal Park for the season at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 … will transition to winter hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) on November 1 … is scheduled to reopen May 1 for the 2026 season."

7. Soo Locks Visitor Center — Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bureau

   Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Address 329 W. Portage Ave.; daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; May 1 to Oct. 31; free

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "329 W. Portage Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 … Opened daily 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. … Dates Open: May 1 – Oct. 31 … Admission: Free"

8. Visit — Soo Locks Visitors Center Association — Soo Locks Visitors Center Association

   Accessed Oct. 19, 2026.

   Supports: Central viewing platform with elevated view of the locks

   Fetched Oct 19, 2026: "The park features a central viewing platform that offers visitors an elevated view of the locks."

Photo and media credits

1. The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in 2025 — Wikimedia Commons / Antony-22

   Featured image record. Accessed Oct. 19, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

   Supports: Featured image: The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in 2025

   Media ID 4409; resized to 2000px; credit in caption and alt

2. Aerial view of the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River, September 2020 — Wikimedia Commons / August Schwerdfeger

   Accessed Oct. 19, 2026. CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

   Supports: Body image 2: Aerial view of the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River, September 2020

   Media ID 4410; resized to 2000px; credit in caption and alt

3. A crane barge on the floor of the dewatered Poe Lock, Soo Locks — Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District

   Accessed Oct. 19, 2026. Public domain.

   Supports: Body image 3: A crane barge on the floor of the dewatered Poe Lock, Soo Locks

   Media ID 4411; resized to 2000px; credit in caption and alt

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