Trump Signs Bill Authorizing Construction of Second Poe-Sized Lock in Great Lakes

gCaptain ^ | 10/24/2018 | gCaptain

[Oatka]

Soo Locks. Photo: U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers

President Trump has signed into law sweeping bipartisan legislation that authorizes federal funding for a wide range of water infrastructure projects across the United States, including construction of a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which passed the Senate by a vote of 99 to 1, includes the Soo Lock Post-Authorization Change Report that authorizes construction of a second Poe-sized lock.

“A second Poe-sized lock was authorized in 1986 but has languished under several Administrations. It was President Trump who made this a national priority,” commented James H.I. Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association, the trade association representing U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes.

The locks at Sault Ste. Marie allow vessels of over 1,000 feet long to move between Lake Superior and the lower four Great Lakes.

In a typical year, as much as 80 million tons of cargo pass through the Soo Locks, made up mostly iron ore for steel production, but also significant volumes of coal, grain and limestone. Due to size limitations, approximately 90 percent of that cargo transits the Poe Lock, as opposed to the smaller MacArthur lock.

“For far too long America’s economy has been at risk because we have only one Poe-size lock,” said Weakley. “The Department of Homeland Security predicts 11 million Americans will lose their jobs if the Poe Lock is down for just six months. President Trump’s signing of this bill means we can now concentrate on funding the lock.”

The new lock is projected to cost approximately $922 million and take seven years to build.

[babble-on]

meathead~!

[Balding_Eagle]

Yeas, and the next one Allen.

[MrEdd]

The important part is how quickly the traffic can pass through. Will it...

[Cobra64]

WTF is a “Poe Sized lock?”

[BlueLancer]

WTF is a “Poe Sized lock?”

Well, I'd say that this is a pretty Poe Size for a lock ...

[upchuck]

Got to wondering what a Poe Lock was and found this:

The Poe Lock was completed on August 3, 1896. The first vessel to pass through was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tug USS Hancock.[8] The original Poe Lock was engineered by Orlando Poe and, at 800 feet long and 100 feet wide, was the largest in the world when completed in 1896. The lock was re-built in 1968 to accommodate larger ships, after the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened and made passage of such ships possible to the Great Lakes. It is now 1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide, and 32 feet deep. It can take ships carrying 72,000 short tons of cargo. The Poe is the only lock that can handle the large lake freighters used on the upper lakes.

I removed all the metric measurements for easier reading.

Bottom line, the Poe Lock is hugh!

[jimtorr]

......obama’s trillion dollar waste of money repaving a few miles of road in every county.....

My county got a pedestrian bridge over I-5 that almost nobody uses.

[Quick Shot]

Who voted against it??
99-who?

[Wonder Warthog]

"The stuff used to be used right here in USA. Should still be."

Nothing wrong with doing both.

[SuperLuminal]

"WTF is a “Poe Sized lock?”"

A poe man, with da beaded hare, who livs in da hood...

[Kriggerel]

Guess they’ll finally get around to redoing the Welland Canal once again, too. They’ve been wanting to upgrade it to at least Panamax for years.

[shalom aleichem]

If Michigan had voted for Hillary...well, ya know.