MONROE, MI – When an engine runs quietly, it doesn’t attract much attention. The same goes for economic engines. Take Great Lakes and inland river ports across the United States. They do not draw much national attention, but there is much happening. In fact, Great Lakes and river ports are leveraging their collective essentiality to craft new strategies and build new infrastructure.

There are roughly 12,000 ports, private terminals and other navigation facilities nationwide, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and possibly many more. Aimee Andres, executive director of the Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals, Inc. trade group, says there are 93 inland river ports, and 71 Great Lakes ports; although there is no official tally, the number of private terminals in the U.S. “is in the tens of thousands,” Andres says. The American Society of Civil Engineers has called those ports the “hidden backbone of the nation’s freight network.” For example, American Great Lakes ports handle about 140 million tons annually, directly or indirectly supporting about 147,350 jobs. Inland river ports and transportation services employ about 127,500 workers and generate $36 billion in income annually while handling about 500 million tons of cargo, according to a recent study.

“When most people think about maritime, they think about the seaports, but cargo does not stop at those ports of import, and it certainly doesn’t begin at the ports of exports,” Andres says, pointing out that inland ports as well as private terminals are crucial.

There’s room for growth, however, and various Great Lakes and river ports are implementing projects supported by the federal government and others. The highlights, among many others, include a $774- million U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant award announced in April 2026, which is funding infrastructure improvements at Baton Rouge, Memphis, and Duluth-Superior, Minnesota, and elsewhere.

Also, industry groups are exploring new ways to increase cargo moving between the Great Lakes and inland rivers. And there is accelerating development of dry ports, meaning inland logistics facilities accessed by rail and trucks and linked to maritime ports, such as those in Greer and Dillon, both in South Carolina, and which are connected directly to the Port of Charleston. Wet or dry, there is much happening.

The Port of Monroe, Michigan, an intermodal port on Lake Erie, is one of the standouts.The port, which already generates roughly $121 million in local income and spending and $38.5 million in federal, state and local tax revenues, is actively creating new opportunities. The port has been implementing a number of projects fueled by federal, state, county and city funding.

Port Director Paul LaMarre, citing the growth in facilities and cargo, says such progress at Monroe makes it “the biggest little port on the Great Lakes, or the little port that can.”

Right now, the port is turning a 12-acre site into the first international border entry point container terminal on the Great Lakes. The terminal, slated to open by 2027, is designed to provide a new gateway to international markets through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The port’s initiatives were boosted by a $15- million U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant announced in April 2026 by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who advocated for the grant award. The award follows on the heels of another DOT grant for $11 million that Monroe’s port received in 2022. Peters says the grant will help “position the port at the cutting edge of Great Lakes shipping. These investments will help strengthen our supply chains, support good-paying jobs and create more economic opportunity for communities across our state.”

Monroe Mayor Robert Clark characterizes the changes at the port in recent years as “a complete transformation” that is bringing “economic and community benefits to the city of Monroe and this region.” The benefits include about 850 local residents, or 75% of the 1,136 people, employed by companies operating on the port, including Gerdau, DTE and Ventower Industries, says LaMarre.

As LaMarre says, “The ultimate success story is when you have created investment, job and tax revenue for the local community.” He adds that “investing in port infrastructure and in the people who support it will pay exponential dividends for communities and for national strength and economic sustainability.”

USA Today

BARBEAU, MI – The Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) is advising Neebish Island residents and visitors that the Neebish Islander Ill will be running on a limited schedule, effective immediately.

This is due to an incident Tuesday morning while encountering dense fog conditions. The end result to the vessel damage is a sheared rudder shaft, and the loss of one of its two rudders. The United States Coast Guard has given the Neebish Islander Ill permission to run on one rudder with the following special conditions. To ensure safety while providing vital transportation, the Neebish Islander Ill Ferry will have the following special operating conditions:

Limited schedule: A small number of back-to-back runs in the morning to transport residents off the island, and a corresponding set of evening runs to return them. The morning runs will tentatively begin at 7:30 a.m. and will continue until all traffic is cleared. This is pending there are not any fog or visibility conditions hindering movement. The evening runs will tentatively begin at 6 p.m. and will continue until all traffic is cleared. This is pending there are not any fog or visibility conditions hindering movement.
Vehicle restrictions: Passenger vehicles only, as vehicles will need to back off the ferry boat.
Capacity limit: A maximum of eight vehicles per trip.
No trailers: Trailers will not be permitted.
Weight and size limits: No oversize or excessively heavy loads will be accepted.
Favorable weather only: Operations will be suspended during adverse weather, requiring no or very little fog, good visibility, sustained winds under 20 mph, and gusts under 25 mph.
Daylight hours only: No operations after dark.
Emergency runs: EUPTA has been granted permission to run outside of the above restrictions in the event of emergencies.

All vehicles will need to back off the ferry when unloading. This is a necessity due to running on one rudder. The unusual nature of this unloading will require all customers to travel at their own risk of vehicle damage. The special operating conditions will last approximately two weeks to give EUPTA time to schedule, coordinate, and make repairs. For the most up-to-date information please refer to www.eupta.net/ferry-svstem/eupta-delays-and-cancellations, Neebish Island Ferry Facebook page, delays and cancellations hotline: 906-632-1516.

Soo Today

OWN SOUND, ON – With the 2026 sailing season concluding on October 18, the Owen Sound Transportation Co. (OSTC) is reminding passengers and community members that there will be no public fall repositioning cruise this year. The MS Chi-Cheemaun will sail overnight to Owen Sound, arriving in the harbour early Monday morning, October 19, before the vessel departs later that day for dry dock in Hamilton, Ontario. The scheduled dry dock period supports mandatory inspections and maintenance to help ensure the vessel remains safe and reliable for future sailing seasons. Passengers can visit the ontarioferries.com early next year for information on the 2027 sailing schedule.

Owen Sound Transportation Co.

It’s jiust three weeks away from the 39th Annual Gales of November maritime conference. Find out more here.

David Schauer

 

DETROIT, MI  – On Monday, Oct. 19, Gaelic Tugboat Co.’s newest acquisition, the tug Tralee, formerly the Lauren A., was launched at the company’s dock on the Rouge River in Detroit. Tralee was previously owned by White Lake Dock and Dredge in West Michigan. Tralee replaces the tug Patricia Hoey, which made her final run on October 13. In keeping with the company’s Irish heritage, the tug is named after Tralee, a town on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland, and is the largest town in County Kerry.

Andrew Severson

The 45^th annual Marine Mart, sponsored by the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, will be held Saturday Oct. 24 from 10 a.m-2 p.m. at the VFW Bruce Post, 284904 Jefferson Ave,. St. Clair Shores, MI. Buy, sell or trade nautical items including models, books, photos, artifacts, ship china, artwork and much more.

Admission is $7 (early bird admission 9:30-10 a.m. ­ $10)

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Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) has announced the ratification of a new four-year collective agreement with its unionized employees represented by UNIFOR Locals 4211, 4319, 4212, 4323 and 4320. Covering some 320 maintenance and operations employees, the agreement includes total wage increases of 13%. The previous collective agreement expired on March 31, 2026.

“A four-year agreement provides greater stability and predictability for our customers, our employees and the industries that depend on the Seaway,” said Jim Athanasiou, President and CEO of SLSMC. “It gives us a strong foundation to look ahead and continue working together to support growth, trade and the long-term competitiveness and resilience of this vital transportation corridor.”

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a critical trade corridor and an important part of Canada’s economy and supply chains, connecting the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River to global markets. The four-year agreement supports SLSMC’s continued focus on providing the capacity Canadian industries need to move goods, grow trade and compete in global markets.

Maritime Magazine

MUSKEGON, MI – Carrying a load of food products, a large freighter sails past the lighthouse and through the Muskegon channel. Down by the water’s edge, not far from the downtown traffic circle, a crowd hangs out at the Third Street Wharf. People stroll along the lake, enjoying the untapped waterfront like never before. That’s all part of a long-term vision for an expanded Port of Muskegon and improved downtown connectivity to Muskegon Lake.

Nine months after Muskegon approved a controversial waterfront land swap, the city and Mart Dock are now seeking nearly $30 million in federal funding for a port project. Officials say the project could move industrial shipping away from downtown, expand Great Lakes freight opportunities and open more of Muskegon Lake’s waterfront to the public, while overall strengthening West Michigan’s economy.

A federal grant application obtained by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle via a Freedom of Information Act request revealed the most detailed vision of the long-term waterfront plan.The hope is to turn Fisherman’s Landing Campground into a modern freight terminal, while opening more of Muskegon Lake’s downtown waterfront to public use.

In time, city and business leaders plan to build a stronger port at Fisherman’s Landing, expand shipping opportunities, create economic growth, increase public access downtown and overall make better use of the Muskegon Lake’s waterfront. Muskegon and Mart Dock are asking for more than $29 million in grant funding through the Port Infrastructure Development Program. The total project is expected to cost $37.15 million.

Muskegon has “underutilized” and “untapped” maritime potential, said Chuck Canestraight, president of Port City Marine Companies, which owns Mart Dock.

The project – deemed locally as Muskegon’s “land swap” – was approved last December and entails the addition of 4,000 more feet of public access to Muskegon Lake. It will also turn a long-vacant parcel on Muskegon Lake into a green space with retail and community activity, modeled after places like Navy Pier in Chicago. The entire project, combining all industry sectors involved, is expected to create more than 300 jobs, generate $41 million in annual sales and $14 million in wages. It’s expected to take over 25 years, officials have said, with the community not seeing physical changes for at least two to five years.

“We want to operate an important marine terminal to keep Muskegon and West Michigan relevant,” Canestraight said. “We want to develop the lakefront and use Muskegon Lake in a way that is very communal with the citizens.

Aging infrastructure, limited room for expansion and the inability to accommodate larger freighters and future freight opportunities were among the reasons Muskegon made the case for a new port terminal. Agriculture and infrastructure are the primary shipping opportunities. “West Michigan’s a high growth, heavy food, heavy agriculture producing area,” Canestraight said. “I don’t think anyone expects that to shrink off. That seems to be the future.”

The potential development of the Third Street Wharf, the retail and community space along the water, would allow for additional cruise ship activity on Muskegon Lake.

Not only are cruise line companies interested in launching Great Lakes Cruise ships, but are building boats specifically for the Great Lakes and to dock in Muskegon.

Having operated on Muskegon Lake for almost a century, Canestraight’s company has a vested interest to continue doing so, he said. Port City Marine Companies continues to have a maritime operating interest on the Great Lakes.

“We want to expand our maritime operations,” Canestraight said. “We want to expand our terminal operations.” He said it was intentional that a profit-sharing mechanism was built into the land swap agreement, collecting a portion of funds made for grants to be distributed by the city.

“Long term, there’ll be a corporation set up to share in their resources,” Canestraight said. “If we build the terminal, if the business is successful – which we would expect it to be – and generally only pursue business that have the chances to be successful, we would share that back through that profit-sharing corporation, and that might provide some evidence 10 or 15 years down the road of a good, thoughtful decision back in 2025.”

The rest of the park will continue to operate with a boat launch, fishing areas and parking. The plan is for port operations currently near downtown to move farther east to the park site, where the campground is currently. Muskegon and Mart Dock are in the process of buying the neighboring 52-acre Verplank property, two-thirds of which will be for port operations.

There are future plans to create a nature preserve there and boardwalks for visitors to walk along the water in the city’s portion. The city will also take ownership of a portion of Third Street Wharf, a long-vacant parcel on Muskegon Lake next to where Mart Dock currently operates.

The port company will still own most of the property, with plans for a future retail and community activity on the water.

Canestraight has handled industrial operations for Sand Products Corp. for more than 25 years. That company operates three vessels that move Portland cement. He also manages the industrial commerce that occurs at West Michigan Dock and Market including materials, storage contracts or vessels being moored there. He does that in concert with the local manager, who is Max McKee.

Read the full story at this MLive link.

 

GODERICH, ON – Industry leaders are attending the Huron Marine & Economic Forum to discuss global trade on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, Thursday. The one-day event takes place at the Goderich Columbus Convention Centre. Jason Card is Vice President of External Affairs for the Chamber of Marine Commerce, a marine industry association with more than 100 members, in Canada and the U.S. He joined CBC Radio’s Afternoon Drive guest host Stu Mills to talk about the future of shipping on the Great Lakes. The following has been edited for clarity and length.

Stu Mills: People don’t always think of the Great Lakes as mainly a shipping corridor. Can you give us a snapshot to bring that into focus? What’s on the move in the Great Lakes at the busiest ports?

Jason Card: We have the numbers that show tha

t marine shipping on the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway contributes $66.1 billion annually to the North American economy and supports about 360,000 jobs.

I often refer to us as the plumbers of the North American economy because we do our thing and no one notices. If we were to stop, everyone would notice all at once.

Our members are moving the bulk commodities upon which society is based. So, your grain that underpins the food supply, the iron ore that makes steel, the road salt that protects municipalities and keeps everyone safe driving in the winter and the cement for construction.

We do our very best to move it as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible because when you start adding costs to what we do, you see the cost of living go up almost everywhere.

A professional headshot of a man with a beard, wearing a black suit jacket, white button-up shirt and a red, black, silver and white striped tie.

SM: We’re always worried that the economy isn’t growing fast enough or that it’s stagnant. I wonder if for this part of the economy, the marine shipping economy, is this the Golden Age or was it ever busier?

JC: We could see a doubling of traffic on the on the seaway infrastructure and they could still handle it without having to add anything new. There’s a lot of high and heavy project cargoes that are moving right now with data centres and windmills, that kind of a thing. They get efficiently moved on our vessels. And of course, we can’t forget critical minerals.

SM: What would you say is the biggest challenge facing shipping companies who operate on the Great Lakes?

One of the things that I would point out would be investment in infrastructure. More than 80% of what you need comes to vessel. We are the primary conduits for trade and when it comes to our members, we’re the primary conduits for Canada, U.S. trade in in many regards. So we would like to see some bespoke funding, particularly for our port infrastructure, given their importance.

About 30% of the Mariner workforce is going to retire by 2029. We need to get people into those jobs. We need to build capacity at the few schools that do the training because they’re fabulous careers.

We also need to attract talent from other countries. This is a global issue in terms of needing more Mariners and we we’re finding that the government is now catching on to this. We know that the provinces have been after this and working with the schools and their backyards to try to develop the capacity.

There was a commitment in last year’s budget to name two more ports, the first arrival in Quebec City and Hamilton. They made good on Quebec City and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on Hamilton- Oshawa Port Authority soon. But we’d like to see more support to ports.

SM: Where do you see the industry heading next?

There’s a lot of opportunity. We’re looking at getting in on what’s happening with critical minerals. There’s a desire to move more petroleum, and to different nations. We’re arguing that we can move down the Great Lakes. Why build a pipeline when you can take boats that are double hull protected and designed to carry these kinds of cargoes effectively?

To succeed in that regard, we need to have seaway extension and we need to see more ice breaking. That would extend the season. Instead of operating nine to ten months of the year, we’d be operating for 11.

We’d become an even more attractive means of moving things for the Canadian economy.

CBC News

FRIDAY 9 a.m. UPDATE: Please see the attached Boatnerd AIS images for vesels at anchor on the St. Marys River Friday morning.

ORIGINAL REPORT: As a powerful fall storm system brings widespread rain and potentially hazardous winds to Michigan, with gale warnings issued for all Great Lakes waters surrounding the state, some vessels have sought shelter to wait out the storm. On the hook Thursday evening in Goulais Bay , on the Canadian side above the Soo Locks, was the Two Harbors-bound James R. Barker. Above DeTour were the saltie Charlie (with a Burns Harbor destination), Flevoborg and Indiana Harbor (headed to Gary). On northern Lake Michigan, Great Republic, WIlfred Sykes, Herbert C. Jackson and American Integrity, all bound to southern Lake Michigan ports, were at anchor.

Strong northerly winds will develop Friday as the storm system deepens while moving through the Lower Great Lakes. Lake Superior could see sustained winds near gale force with gusts reaching 45 to 50 mph Friday morning, creating significant wave heights between 15 and 20 feet along southern lakeshores. On Lake Michigan, northwest winds will quickly ramp up between 35 and 40 mph Friday with waves building between five and eight feet. Gale watches are in effect for all Michigan waters of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron from Friday morning through Friday night. Land areas across Michigan can expect wind gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range Friday afternoon.

Temperatures will drop significantly behind the cold front. Highs Friday will only reach the upper 40s to low 50s across most of the state, with some areas experiencing near-steady temperatures through the day. Friday night into Saturday morning will bring the coldest conditions, with lows dropping into the mid to low 20s across interior locations. Some lakeshores may reach freezing for the first time this fall season, with frost and freeze conditions likely Saturday morning.

NWS, Boatnerd AIS and MLive