$95.3M Contract for Soo Lock Final Phase Goes to Kokosing Alberici Traylor

The U.S. Military Corps of Engineers has awarded a contract choice to Kokosing Alberici Traylor LLC (KAT) for the ultimate $95.3-million part of the almost $3.3-billion Soo Locks mission in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

As ENR reported beforehand, a brand new larger lock is being constructed to accommodate trendy 1,000-ft “laker” cargo vessels as they traverse the 21-ft elevation change on the St. Marys River between Michigan and Ontario, touring between Lake Superior and the opposite Nice Lakes. The mission contains decommissioning two current locks, the Sabin and Davis Locks. 

The brand new lock will probably be constructed within the footprint of the Sabin Lock, which is being demolished. The brand new lock can have a chamber measuring 1,200-ft lengthy, 110-ft huge and 32-ft deep and will probably be 30 ft wider than the Sabin Lock.

The contract choices embody downstream work anticipated to price $44.9 million, hands-free mooring to price $24.2 million and downstream ship arrestors to price $26.2 million.

“These choices should not optionally available. They’re wanted for the completion of the mission,” stated Carrie Fox, a Corps spokesperson.

KAT is a three way partnership of Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Industrial, St. Louis-based Alberici Constructors and Evansville, Ind.-based Traylor Bros. KAT started work on the bottom $1.1-billion Part 3 contract in 2022. Corps officers structured the contract with $794.5 million in contract options to be awarded as funding turns into obtainable.

Demolition of the Sabin Lock is presently 95% full. The Davis lock, which was inbuilt 1914, is being stuffed in as a result of it has not been utilized in 20 years.

Negotiated pricing on the remaining work was slated to run out in September 2025.

“With an early award of the remaining Part 3 choices, the mission continues to be on observe for completion in 2030,” stated Kevin McDaniels, deputy district engineer with the Corps’ Detroit district in an announcement.

The primary part of the work, which entailed upstream channel deepening was accomplished in 2022 by Trade West Construction of Nevada. The second part, which lined development of upstream strategy partitions, was accomplished in 2024 by Kokosing Alberici.

“With the continued new concrete monoliths development, the brand new lock partitions are starting to take form on the downstream finish of the mission website,” stated Molly Mahoney, senior mission supervisor for the Corps, in an announcement. 

She added that demolition of the present Sabin Lock and concrete and bedrock excavation within the footprint of the brand new lock chamber are progressing. As well as, pump nicely partitions are being constructed within the Davis Lock and the rest of the chamber is being crammed with excavated materials. 

The primary focus of development over the following 12 months will proceed to be concrete monolith placement in addition to Sabin Lock demolition and bedrock excavation, Mahoney stated.