Media Advisory

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jennifer Wilk                                                                                                  

Telephone: 202-590-8115                                                                                                

Email: Jennifer.Wilk@dot.gov

New Seaway Visitor Center at Eisenhower Lock is Closed,

North Overlook Viewing Lot is Open

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) announced today that its new Seaway Visitor Center is closed due to water damage to the building interior, caused by a severe storm in Massena, N.Y. on Thursday, June 6.  The Center will be temporarily closed, effective Friday, June 7 and until further notice, while the damage is assessed and needed repairs are made.  The north overlook parking lot at Eisenhower Lock will remain available for visitors to view ships.

“Since re-opening last month, the Seaway Visitor Center has been busy with families and children, tourists and residents alike, who are fascinated by the contemporary operation of the St. Lawrence Seaway and of Eisenhower Lock,” said Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Administrator of the GLS. “I thank the amazing team of GLS employees in Massena for beautifully realizing the new Visitor Center and for aptly responding to yesterday’s storm.”

The Center has served as a major tourist attraction for North Country residents and tourists visiting the region since 1961, two years after the Seaway opened.

“Contract teams are already on-site at the Visitor Center and needed remediation efforts are already underway,” said Amy Stark, Visitor Center Director and Community Relations Manager at the GLS. “We are undertaking every effort to reopen this fabulous tourism amenity to the public soon.”

Vessel traffic through Eisenhower Lock was unaffected by the storm, and the St. Lawrence Seaway operational status is normal. There are several ways to obtain up-to-date information on estimated vessel transit times:

• Call 315-769-2422, for a voice recording of that day’s projected lockage schedule.
• Review the Great Lakes-Seaway binational website at bit.ly/NavigatingTheSeawayMap, which updates every 15 minutes with details on ships currently in transit within the Seaway System.
• Review lock-specific information at bit.ly/LockOrderofTurn, which offers real-time information on vessels preparing to enter any of the locks (by pulling down the Order of Turn Information).
• Social Media: Facebook and Instagram @SeawayVisitorCenter

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