Governor Focuses on Soo Locks Upgrades

Liz Gullett

May 04, 2018

This week, Governor Rick Snyder charged Lt. Governor Brian Calley with leading the state’s effort to work with the federal government to fix and upgrade the Soo Locks in Northern Michigan. During a visit to the Soo Locks on Wednesday, the Lt. Governor stressed the importance of renewing and accelerating the federal efforts to fix and upgrade this essential national infrastructure before serious harm can occur to the U.S. economy. “While in Michigan last week, President Trump stated he supported funding upgrades. On the heels of that, the Lt. Governor will head up the state’s effort to work together with the federal government to get the funds necessary to begin the project,” stated Brendan Ringlever MLC.

Two years ago, Governor Snyder sent a letter to Michigan’s congressional delegation noting the importance of the locks and his commitment to working with Congress to fully fund the replacement. Congress had approved a project in 1986, but has never appropriated the funding. Current estimated put the total amount needed for the project at $922 million.

A 2015 analysis by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found an unexpected closure of the Soo Locks, especially during peak shipping season, could result in a cascading collapse of the U.S. Economy. An average of 80 million tons of cargo pass through the locks each year and the value of the iron ore shipped through the locks year each is $500.4 billion.

For more information on the effort, please visit https://www.michigan.gov/fixthesoolocks.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.