Marine Highway
The latest developments and news affecting operations, conditions, and improvements of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System.
Port of Green Bay Remains Closed Due to Unsafe Navigational Conditions
The Port of Green Bay remains closed due to high water flow levels on the Fox River, resulting in unsafe navigation conditions for commercial marine traffic. The port unexpectedly closed on April... Read More
American Ship & Dry-Dock Designs Modular System
American Ship & Dry-Dock Company has developed what it calls a Rapid Deployment and Modular Dry-Dock System, an approach that rethinks how floating drydocks are designed, transported and installed. According to Brian... Read More
New Bolt-in Design Speeds Lockport Lock Repairs
Lockport Lock, Illinois River Mile 291, is expected to remain closed until the evening of May 19 as repair crews install new pintle sockets. The closure, which began March 31, temporarily disrupts all marine... Read More
Ice Conditions Renew Calls for Additional U.S. Icebreaker on Great Lakes
Commercial shipping on the Great Lakes has slowed sharply just a few days into the 2026 navigation season, as ice conditions in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay halted vessel traffic and renewed... Read More
2026 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Shipping Season Officially Underway
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, opened the Poe Lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to all marine traffic at 12:01 a.m. EST on... Read More
Paul Bunyan Crane Barge Returning to Soo Locks
A new Paul Bunyan-sized floating crane is being built for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for duty at the Soo Locks. It’s a project just getting started. The new $45.8 million vessel, named after the fictional lumberjack Paul Bunyan, is expected to... Read More
Seaway System Closes for 2025 Navigation Season
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System officially closed for the 2025 navigation season on January 12. The system was supposed to close on January 5, but ice buildup created shipping... Read More
Toledo Harbor Dredging Completed
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District recently completed the largest annual dredging project on the Great Lakes. Dredging of Toledo Harbor’s federal navigation channel began in the fall and wrapped... Read More
Unlocking the Seaway’s Potential
Stakeholders have long said that the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway has the potential to increase service and contribute even more to North American trade and the international maritime industry. From efforts to expand container service to... Read More
Winding Down
As the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System approaches its seasonal closure, the rhythm of maritime commerce slows. The Montreal–Lake Ontario section will cease transits after December 24, with all ships required to clear... Read More
Legacy of the Soo: The Remarkable Story of the Lock that Almost Wasn’t
On June 29, 1984, then-U.S. Reps. Don Albosta (D-Michigan) and Bob Davis (R-Michigan) successfully offered a floor amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning the legislative process that would... Read More