SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) — A community meeting will be held virtually and in person Thursday to update residents on blasting activities for the construction of the Soo Locks.

US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District and New Lock at Soo Contractor Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC (KAT) will host the meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m., November 21.

The Corps of Engineers contracted KAT to complete phase 3 construction of the New lock on the Soo project. This work includes bedrock excavation scheduled for this year and 2025.

“The project team will conduct test blasting to fracture the existing bedrock to be excavated and removed,” said Rachel Miller, New Lock at the Soo Contracting Officer representative. “All blasting will be completed within the Corps of Engineers Soo Locks facility at the existing Sabin Lock decommissioned area.”

Blasting test activities will begin in December on a semi-regular basis as weather permits.

The contractor is permitted to blast Monday through Sunday during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset). The Corps of Engineers and KAT do not anticipate blasting being conducted on any Sundays at this time.

“For 2024-2025 blasting activities, the Corps of Engineers does not anticipate impacts to public roads or land areas outside of the Soo Locks facility,” said Mick Awbrey, New Lock Chief. “However, each explosion will be assessed to ensure public safety. During the blast, guards will be posted at all access points to ensure that no person is allowed within 300 feet of the blast radius.”

Maritime traffic on the river St. Marys will not be allowed within 1,000 feet (indicated in blue below) at the time of any blast detonation for recreational boaters, anglers, swimmers and the general public on the water.

Red flag vessels carrying bulk fuel or other hazardous materials will not be allowed within 2,000 feet (indicated in red below) during blasts. All exclusion zones are coordinated with the Soo Locks Lockmaster as well as the US Coast Guard.

Before sandblasting:

• An air horn will sound five times long, indicating that the explosion will take place in five minutes.
• One minute before an explosion, an air horn will sound five short times, and then the explosion will be detonated.
• After detonation, the master blaster will confirm the completion of the blast and give an “all clear” consisting of a long blast from a horn or siren.

“The New Lock at the Soo construction contract includes measures to monitor and control vibrations due to blasting,” said Detroit District Biologist Hal Harrington. “All blasting will take place in the dewatered areas of the dam. Vibration monitoring locations and maximum particle vibration (PPV) limitations for the contract were limited to account for these breeding areas. The Contractor shall design and control all blasts to achieve a maximum PPV of 1.0 inches per second at both spawning locations. This limitation is specifically in place to prevent adverse effects on fish.”

The goal of construction of the New Lock at the Soo is to minimize or eliminate negative impacts on the community and other affected parties. Safety measures adopted for the evacuation of marine vessels from affected areas will be applied immediately before and during explosions. In addition, there will be no permanent storage of explosives or overnight storage of explosives on site at the Soo Locks facility. The safety of all who access the waterways is a priority.

Thursday Community Meeting:

The public meeting will be held in the Upper Room of Lake Superior State University’s Cisler Center, located at 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The public hearing is scheduled from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (EST) on Tuesday, November 21, 2024.

Those who prefer to participate virtually can join the meeting at: NewLockattheSooTeams.

A slide show will be briefed by the Corps of Engineers and KAT’s blasting specialist, blasting consultant and vibration specialist. Presentation slides will be made available after the public meeting at this link.

After the presentation, the audience will have an opportunity to ask general questions about blasting operations, the magnitude of seismic motion, blast overpressure, and the potential for flyrock debris.

The current construction schedule only includes blasting in 2024-2025. If additional blasting is required, the Corps of Engineers will provide additional notice approximately 30 days in advance.

Previous build meeting:

Officials gave a project update on the construction effort last month. You can view the meeting below: