Marine Highway
The latest developments and news affecting operations, conditions, and improvements of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System.
The Critical Need for Another Great Lakes Icebreaker
Icebreakers are complex vessels — almost as complex as the politics required to construct them. For Great Lakes shipping, icebreaker capabilities and readiness were particularly critical because of this winter’s severe conditions. Consider that the... Read More
Corps Releases Final FY2026 Great Lakes Maintenance Program
In early April, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released its navigation work plan for FY2026. The plan outlines resources that will be used for dredging, structure maintenance and other priorities at every port in the United States. The... Read More
NOAA Begins 2026 Hydrographic Mapping Work on Great Lakes
For the first time since 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is conducting mapping operations across portions of Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. The NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson returned to the Great Lakes... Read More
Port of Green Bay Reopens for 2026 Navigation Season
The Port of Green Bay has reopened after closing for several weeks due to high water flow levels on the Fox River, resulting in unsafe navigation conditions for commercial marine traffic. The port... 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