The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $222.7 million contract for Option 3 (Chamber Lock Operational) to Kokosing Alberici Traylor, LLC (KAT) of Westerville, Ohio.
The Option 3 award will allow for construction to proceed as required to have a fully functional lock.
”Option 3 includes construction of the lock floor, installation of the mechanical and electrical systems, completion of the filling and emptying system, placing soil in between the New Lock and old Davis Lock, and commissioning of the lock chamber,” said Inland Navigation Design Center, New Lock at the Soo Technical Lead Darin White.
With the on-time award of Option 3, the project continues to be on track for completion in 2030.
The New Lock at the Soo project is being built in 3 phases. Phase 1 (Upstream Channel Deepening) was completed in 2022, and Phase 2 (Upstream Approach Walls) is nearing completion this summer.
The Phase 3 contract was awarded to KAT in July 2022 as a base contract at $1.068 billion. Awarding the base contract allowed the contractor to begin work in 2022 with the remaining work (contract options), to be awarded over the next three years.
Three contract options, totaling $95.3 million, await to be awarded. These options are Option 4 (Downstream Work), Option 5 (Hands-Free Mooring), and Option 6 (Downstream Ship Arrestors). The Corps of Engineers aims to award these options over the next year.
Phase 3 construction began in late 2022, and is expected to last seven years, given efficient funding and favorable weather. The New Lock at the Soo will be constructed in the footprint of the Sabin Lock and will be the same size as the Poe Lock (1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide and 32 feet deep).