The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a contract option to Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC for the final $95.3-million phase of the Soo Locks project in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.—a nearly $3.3-billion effort to build a larger lock to accommodate modern 1,000-ft “laker” cargo vessels as they traverse the 21-ft elevation change on the St. Marys River between Michigan and Ontario, traveling between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. 

The new lock will be built in the footprint of the Sabin Lock, which is being demolished. The new lock will have a chamber measuring 1,200-ft long, 110-ft wide and 32-ft deep and will be 30 ft wider than the Sabin Lock. The project includes decommissioning the Sabin and Davis Locks. 

Contract options include downstream work expected to cost $44.9 million, hands-free mooring to cost $24.2 million and downstream ship arrestors to cost $26.2 million. “Those … are not optional. They are needed for the completion of the project,” said Carrie Fox, a Corps spokesperson.

The joint venture of Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Industrial, St. Louis-based Alberici Constructors and Evansville, Ind.-based Traylor Bros. began work on the base $1.1-billion Phase 3 contract in 2022. Corps officials structured the contract with $794.5 million in contract options to be awarded as funding becomes available.

Demolition of the Sabin Lock is now 95% complete. The Davis lock, built in 1914, is being filled in because it has not been used in 20 years.

Negotiated pricing on the remaining work was slated to expire in September.

“With an early award of the remaining Phase 3 options, the project continues to be on track for completion in 2030,” said Kevin McDaniels, deputy district engineer for the Corps’ Detroit district in a statement.

The first phase of the work, which entailed upstream channel deepening, was completed in 2022 by Trade West Construction of Nevada. The second phase, which covered construction of upstream approach walls, was completed in 2024 by Kokosing Alberici.

“With the ongoing new concrete monoliths’ construction, the new lock walls are beginning to take shape on the downstream end of the project site,” said Molly Mahoney, Corps senior project manager, in a statement. 

She added that demolition of the existing Sabin Lock and concrete and bedrock excavation in the footprint of the new lock chamber are progressing. In addition, pump well walls are being constructed in the Davis Lock and the remainder of the chamber is being filled with excavated material. 

The main focus of construction over the next year will continue to be concrete monolith placement as well as Sabin Lock demolition and bedrock excavation, Mahoney said.