From Wikipedia - The Soo Locks (sometimes spelled Sault Locks, but pronounced "Soo") are a set of parallel locks which enable big ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario. They bypass the rapids of the river, where the water falls 21 feet.
The locks pass an average of 10,000 ships per year, despite being closed during the winter from January through March, when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes. The winter closure period is used to inspect and maintain the locks.
The locks share a name (usually shortened and anglicized as Soo) with the two cities named Sault Ste. Marie, in Ontario and in Michigan, located on either side of the St. Marys River. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge between the United States and Canada permits vehicular traffic to pass over the locks. A railroad bridge crosses the St. Marys River just upstream of the highway bridge.
Here is an aerial view
On a day trip in 2011 we took a boat tour through the locks that we blogged about here. On this trip we visited the Soo Locks Overlook. Here is the Stewart J. Cort, the first 1000' ship on the Great Lakes in the locks raising up to go from Huron to Superior. It is so long it took 2 photos.
Here is one of the tour boats like we took waiting its turn.
The lock closing after the tour boat left so it can be drained to match the Huron side.
This lock being drained for the next ship.
The Cort leaving the locks.
It was a great time watching the Locks up close.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
We were so amazed at watching the water raise the big boats. I can't image how someone figured out how to make that work.
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed watching the ships go through the locks. Just a super engineering feat. Travel safe. Have a pasties for us.
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