The Soo Locks reopened Sunday, kicking off the 2018 Great Lakes shipping season.
Officials with the US Army Corps of Engineers say several ships were lined up, waiting for the locks to open.
Kevin Sprague is with the Soo Office of the Army Corps. He said the Coast Guard was out early, breaking ice around the locks.
“The US coast guard has already passed through upbound along with the Canadian coast guard so they can break out our upper river and then they’ll continue on to Duluth Minnesota and Thunder Bay Ontario.”
Sprague said during the season, which runs from March 25th to January 15th, roughly 4,000 ships will pass through the locks.
He says ships are primarily carrying iron ore, coal, wheat, and limestone.