The governments of Canada and the United States are conducting a joint study to evaluate the infrastructure needs of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, specifically the engineering, economic and environmental implications of those needs as they pertain to the marine transportation infrastructure on which commercial navigation depends.
This joint Canada/United States study is known as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Study (GLSLS Study) and is currently underway. It is assessing the ongoing maintenance and the long-term capital requirements to ensure the continuing viability of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system as a safe, efficient, reliable and sustainable component of North America’s transportation infrastructure.
The objectives of the GLSLS Study are as follows:
- Evaluate the condition and reliability of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, including the relative benefits and costs of continuing to maintain the existing transportation infrastructure.
- Assess the engineering, economic and environmental factors associated with the current and future needs of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system and the transportation infrastructure on which it depends.
- Identify factors and trends affecting the domestic and international marine transportation industries serving the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway, including evolving intermodal linkages and transportation technologies.
The scope of the study is limited to the evaluation of the existing marine transportation infrastructure. It is important to note that the focus of the study is on the optimization of the existing infrastructure based on the system’s current configuration and that the evaluation of major infrastructure modifications, such as an expansion of the Seaway locks or an increase in channel dimensions, is not part of the study.
The GLSLS Study will promote a balanced approach. The binational study partnership is comprised of Canadian and U.S. federal departments and agencies with expertise in transportation policy and economics, navigation-related infrastructure engineering and environmental science.
The Study began in May 2003 pursuant to a Memorandum of Cooperation signed between Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation that facilitated a binational study partnership. A report on its findings and conclusions will be tabled shortly after completion of the study in the Summer of 2007.
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