The Soo Locks reopened Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie, beginning the 2020 shipping season on the Great Lakes.
The Locks have been officially closed since January 15.
According to a press release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, repairs and maintenance were performed during the 10-week winter shutdown.
“Enabling navigation on the Great Lakes by maintaining and operating these locks are the District's most critical tasks," said engineer Lt. Col. Greg Turner in the press release.
The Detroit District says their agency remains “fully operational” through the COVID-19 pandemic, using “physical distance, flexible work schedules, telework, technology and virtual meetings.”
The first ship to come through the largest of the locks will be the Motor Vessel H. Lee White, travelling from Sturgeon Bay, Michigan to Superior, Wisconsin.