Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor welcomes first international ship

Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor welcomes first international ship    The port of Indiana-Burns Harbor received its first international vessel of the year Wednesday.
   The vessel “Federal Mackinac,” carrying 13,051 metric tons of steel and general cargoes from Antwerp and Bremen, was making its maiden voyage through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.
   Burns Harbor is a 600-acre port and maritime industrial park located on Lake Michigan just 18 nautical miles from Chicago. In 2004 it set a new record with 154 ship calls, handling 2.5 million tons of waterborne cargo (ship and barge) with steel cargoes up 73 percent. The port has year-round barge service through the inland waterways system and access for ocean-going vessels via the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway.
   The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway opens its international waterway to ships calling on U.S. and Canadian ports from April to December each year, closing during the winter for maintenance to its 13 locks and connecting channels.