First Ship of the Season Makes Its Way Into Twin Ports

DULUTH (AP) -- It's a sure sign of spring. The first ship of the season has made its way through the Soo Locks and into the Twin Ports at Duluth and Superior.

The Stewart J. Cort arrived under the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth's Canal Park Tuesday afternoon. The vessel's owner, Interlake Steamship, says the 1,000 footer has a regular route of carrying iron ore from the BNSF Railway docks in Superior to Burns Harbor, Indiana.

Iron Mining Association of Minnesota's president, Kelsey Johnson, says the mines have been running around the clock every day of the year so it's exciting to finally send the product off to steelmaking facilities.

It ends about 10 weeks of offseason for Great Lakes shipping used for maintenance and repair.