It's a pretty normal year for the St. Lawrence Seaway as $22 million in maintenance is carried out along the 43-kilometre-long Welland Canal.

"It's not a whole lot different from last year. We have several (lock) gates being rehabilitated," said St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. Niagara engineering manager Cassie Kelly.

Kelly said the lock gates - there are 48 along the canal weighing roughly 453,600 kilograms each - are worked on each year.

The gates operate in pairs at the upper and lower ends of the locks, plus additional ones for safety.

Kelly said rehab work started in 2011-12, with eight gates already complete. The project will run until 2036, costing more than $120 million over that time.

"The year we finish, we'll have to start over."

Kelly said gate inspections are carried out frequently to check for wear and tear or other problems, such as a gate that may have been struck by a vessel.

Work on anchoring the floor of Lock 8 in Port Colborne that started last year has been put on hold due to a rock formation found under it that seaway staff were not expecting. She said more testing and information on the formation was needed before work could proceed.

"We could get back to it (anchoring the floor) in a couple of years."

Work will be carried out on Bridge 19A, Mellanby Avenue Bridge, in Port Colborne, and see its closure for at least a month to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Bridge 21, Clarence Street Bridge. Bridge 5, Glendale Avenue Bridge, and Bridge 11, Allanburg Bridge, will undergo work as the seaway corporation replaces various components.

Kelly said Rankin Construction will continue to carry out work on the long reach of the canal - the area just north of Bridge 19 in Port Colborne to Lock 7 in Thorold. The company is stabilizing the banks of the canal, a project that's expected to take at least 20 years but could be done in less time.

In Thorold, sandblasting will be carried out inside a pair of gates as will some metal work. The gates will be partially painted this year as well.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Valve work will take place at Locks 4, 5 and 6, the flight locks. The valves control the flow of water in and out of the locks when they are being filled and emptied for vessels.

- Photos: Winter work commences on the Welland Canal