SAULT STE. MARIE, MI -- A half a dozen freighters were lined up Friday morning waiting for the Soo Locks to open for the year.
March 25th marks the opening of the locks. They've been closed since January 18th for annual repairs.
Officials say last year, Great Lakes transport was up from the past few years and ships lining up to lock through could be a sign for what's to come this year.
"Last year, it was a significant improvement over the big downturn we had the year before. This year, the seaway is predicting an increase for saltwater traffic and I expect we'll see the same with our freshwater traffic," said Kevin Sprague of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The number of passages through the locks last year was up 34 percent and the amount of material that transported through the locks was up 39 percent.
