Soo Locks infrastructure project valued at $2.4m

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded the infrastructure project contract at the Soo Locks to Ryba Marine Construction, with a slated completion date of June 2018.    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a $2.4 million contract for construction repairs at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
   The contract was awarded to Ryba Marine Construction and is tasked with removing existing miter blocks and quoin blocks, then fabricating and replacing these steel blocks on Gates 1 and 3 of the Poe Lock at the St. Marys River navigational locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
   The quoin block is placed between the gate and the wall while miter blocks are a similar block placed on each gate leaf where the gates contact each other. The gates seal off the lock chamber from the upper and lower canal and meet at an angle like a chevron with the pressure from the water level keeping the gates closed.
   “The Poe Lock provides a critical connection for navigation between the upper and lower Great Lakes,” said Lt. Col. Dennis Sugrue, district engineer. “Repairs like this are necessary to maintain reliable functionality of the Poe Lock gates. We are pleased to award this contract that helps to achieve our vision of a reliable and resilient Great Lakes Navigation System.”
   The project will be performed during the winter shutdown of the Soo Locks facility from January to mid-March 2018 with completion by June 2018.