SAULT STE. MARIE — Ice buildup on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie has caused intermittent stoppages on the Sugar Island Ferry for several days, with ferry officials citing packed ice in the ferry lane and at the island dock.
Capt. Greg Gorsuch said he started his shift at 6 a.m. and made one pass from the mainland to Sugar Island before deciding it was too dangerous to continue runs until the ice is cut and begins moving.
“When there is no place to flush the ice, it just gets packed in there and it’s more difficult and it’s hard to get into the dock,” Gorsuch said. “Things will break if you keep doing that. It’s thick ice. It’s packed ice. It’s just a lot of wear and tear.”
Officials said the ice is close to 2 feet thick. They also said there is still significant ice upriver from the ferry that is expected to shift downriver once freighter traffic starts back up.
Gorsuch urged residents and visitors to have backup plans for unpredictable and potentially extended delays.