St. Lawrence Seaway closed for seasonal maintenance

The St. Lawrence Seaway, the passage from Montreal allowing deep-draft vessels to traverse from Canada to the US Great Lakes system, is closed for annual maintenance, a spokeswoman said.
The passage, part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, closed on December 30 for maintenance and repair to the systems 15 locks and will re-open at a date to be determined, Seaway spokeswoman Nancy Alcalde said.
"We do not have a date for reopening," Alcalde said. "The two seaway corporations sit down and review what the opening date will be each year depending on a number of factors."
Traditionally the Seaway reopens in mid-March, though it has remained closed as as late as April. The passage remained closed until April 5 in 1994, the longest the maintenance season has lasted.
The seaway is operated jointly by the US Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
About 4,200 vessels, largely bulk cargo vessels, transited the seaway in 2011 according to the most recent traffic data from the Seaway.
Source: Platts