SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WLUC) – After a day and a half of the Soo Locks being open, shipping has come to a standstill.
The U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Mary’s River and Whitefish Bay, the connection between Lakes Superior and all other Great Lakes.
Ice conditions and a lack of heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers are creating delays for American shipping and manufacturing. Some U.S. shipping companies have suffered more than 24-hour delays.
The Mackinaw, the only heavy domestic U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, is currently unable to lock up to Whitefish Bay due to an engineering casualty. Ice conditions are in excess of 2 feet in spots covered by 3 feet of snow. An icebreaker from Canada was deployed to the area but abruptly departed to care for a couple of Canadian ships going to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Meanwhile, the system remains essentially closed with U.S. vessels trapped in the lower St. Mary’s River and Whitefish Bay. No ship has passed downbound from Duluth at this point, and no cargo has been delivered to the steel mills on the southern lakes.
“The Lake Carriers’ Association has pleaded with Congress to get another heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker on the Great Lakes, but unfortunately funds have been slow to come. I don’t understand the Canadian Coast Guard taking care of a few vessels bound for a port that has commercial icebreaking assistance available and abandoning critical shared waterways like the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay. Now the system is shut down,” President of the Lake Carriers’ Association Jim Weakley said.
The southern Great Lakes are mostly ice-free, but conditions to the north are difficult, requiring a heavy icebreaker in multiple locations.
TV6 will provide updates on when conditions at the Soo Locks improve and when more ships can travel through.
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