Cutter Katmai Bay will move starting Wednesday
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI -- Ice doesn't only affect travel on land, it can also be a big problem for freighters on the Great Lakes
Starting Wednesday, the Coast Guard will begin cutting paths through the ice.
The Coast Guard says the first ship, this one you see right here called the Katmai Bay, will travel to Western Lake Superior where ice has began to form and cut shipping channels for the two billion dollar great lakes shipping industry.
The ice cutting mission is beginning a little early this year to make sure shipping lanes are cleared.
"The fact that winter is here a little bit early, we want to make sure our resources are in the right place so we can keep those commodities moving so they can get to the market on time," said Mark Gill, the USCG Director of Vessel Traffic Services.
He says the cutters typically head out in mid-December, but it's already starting to ice up in major harbors.
By Christmas, he anticipates the Coast Guard will have all cutters working to keep shipping channels open in the Great Lakes.
