Investment

During the next 10 years, the U.S. and Canadian governments will commit close to $1 billion (USD) to enhance infrastructure and modernize equipment in the navigation system. This investment will not only improve transportation performance and reliability, but also create thousands of jobs.

Modernization of the Soo Locks

Located in northern Michigan, the lock complex at Sault Ste. Marie ("Soo Locks") enables ships to navigate the St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Through this critical infrastructure, Great Lakes commercial vessels carry iron ore and other raw materials for the region's steel industry, agricultural products destined for export markets, and low-sulfur coal fuelling the region's electric utilities. Each year, 80 million tons of cargo passes through the Soo Locks. In June 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of a new, large lock at the Soo. The project is expected to cost more than $400 million (USD) and is expected to create 15,000 jobs during its 10-year construction. In the meantime, the Corps has undertaken a multi-year program to rehabilitate the existing locks. This $93 million (USD) plan will upgrade equipment to ensure lock reliability through 2035.

Investing in the Future of the St. Lawrence Seaway

The 15 locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. This critical waterway facilitates the movement of iron ore, grain, steel products, forest products, and many other commodities. Since the Seaway's opening in 1959, more than 2.5 billion net tons of cargo valued at more than $375 billion (USD) have moved to and from Canada, the United States, and nearly 50 other nations.

To ensure the system's reliability, in 2009 the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) initiated a 10-year, $134 million (USD) Asset Renewal Program for its navigation infrastructure and facilities. This investment will address various repair and rehabilitation needs for the two U.S. Seaway locks, the Seaway International Bridge connecting Ontario and New York, maintenance dredging, operational systems and Corporation facilities and equipment.

The Canadian equivalent of the SLSDC, the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) annually invests tens of millions of dollars in preventative maintenance expenditures and system upgrades for Canada's 13 Seaway locks. The budget for the SLSMC's five-year capital investment program (2009-2013) is $270 million (CAD).

The Next Generation of Great Lakes-Seaway Vessels: Significant Environmental Benefits

Shipowners are investing more than $1 billion (CAD) to bring a new generation of super-efficient, environmentally-friendly ships to the Great Lakes-Seaway over the next three years. These first-class ships, which include both ocean-going and domestic, will have the latest engine technology and hull design to reduce fuel consumption and air emissions; double hulls to prevent spills in the event of an accident and state-of-the-art cargo handling systems to minimize dust and cargo residue.

Once government standards are established and technology is available, many of these vessels  will also accommodate engine-exhaust gas scrubbers to further reduce emissions, and ballast water treatment equipment to mitigate the risk of introducing invasive species.