Soo Locks improvement would help area shipping

Bi-partisan legislation was introduced June 8 to update the Soo Locks. Despite their distance from Northeast Michigan, the locks have an impact on the region.The Soo Lock Modernization Act is legislation sponsored by U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, and Reps. Jack Bergman, Frank Upton, Sandy Levin, Bill Huizenga, Tim Walberg, Dan Kildee, Mike Bishop, Debbie Dingell, Brenda Lawrence, John Moolenaar, Dave Trott and Paul Mitchell. “I’m introducing the bill in the Senate and in the House with Jack Bergman and many others,” Stabenow said. “Our delegation is joining together and we want the authorizing of the building of second large lock. The bill is authorizing the building at the funding level the Army Corps of Engineers said it will take. They haven’t completed the study, but they’re estimating it would cost around one billion.” The study Stabenow speaks of is one the Army Corps received $1.35 million to conduct in 2015. The Army Corps operates the locks which consists of MacArthur, Davis, Sabin and Poe.