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Construction starts on new Soo lock in Upper Peninsula

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Construction is underway on the new lock at the Soo.

“The three major phases of the project remain on track with their timetables virtually unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic at this time,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a press release.

Contractors working on the lock are taking precautions to prevent catching or spreading COVID-19, according to an Army Corps spokesperson. They are being screened for symptoms, wearing face coverings and maintaining six feet of social distance in work areas.

The Soo Locks were declared “nationally critical infrastructure” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, that added it’s essential to U.S. manufacturing and National Security.

The project is estimated to cost over $900 million dollars and be completed by November 2021. The Army Corps says it will generate over $70 billion in “annual benefits.”

Max came to IPR in 2017 as an environmental intern. In 2018, he returned to the station as a reporter and quickly took on leadership roles as Interim News Director and eventually Assignment Editor. Before joining IPR, Max worked as a news director and reporter at Michigan State University's student radio station WDBM. In 2018, he reported on a Title IX dispute with MSU in his story "Prompt, Thorough and Impartial." His work has also been heard on Michigan Radio, WDBM and WKAR in East Lansing and NPR.