The Poe lock in Sault Saint Marie will receive a roughly $2-million upgrade in the spring of 2019.
The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a contract to Wisconsin based Roen Salvage Company to replace pier bollards, which help secure ships.
John Imbrunone is with the Army Corps of Engineers. He said the project will be in planning over the winter.
“And then in the spring when the ice is lifted that’s likely when the physical construction will kick off and they’ll do some of the physical construction and rehab.”
Imbrunone said projects like this one help keep the Poe lock up to date.
A Homeland Security report from 2015 said an unanticipated failure of the Poe lock could result in 10 million people losing their job in the US.
Imbrunone said the project should be completed by August of 2019.