GALLERY: First Lady Jill Biden wraps up visit across the river

First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff wrapped up their visit to the Upper Peninsula Friday afternoon in Sault Ste. Marie.

Emhoff is Vice President Kamala Harris' husband.

After a community listening session about health care with members of the Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the two toured the Soo Locks where construction on the new lock continues.

Sault, Ontario Mayor Matthew Shoemaker was among the guests invited to the Bay Mills event.

I appreciated the invite from Mayor Gerrie to attend @FLOTUS's event in Bay Mills today! pic.twitter.com/iZE4s7fr5b

— Matthew Shoemaker (@SooShoe) May 16, 2024

While touring the Soo Locks, Biden talked to Army Corps engineers and personnel. The 1004 Mesabi Miner was inside the Poe Lock when Biden was present.

She did not field any questions from the media nor make any direct statements to the media during the tour at the locks.

Biden and  Emhoff left the Soo Locks around 2 p.m. to catch their flight from Kinross Chippewa County International Airport to Midland, Mich. for a political event.

Completion of the new lock is expected to be in 2030, according the the Army Corp of Engineers.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the "Water Resources Development Act" that authorized to spend $3.2 billion on the new lock.

Prior to that, in 2018, then-president Donald Trump signed into law "America's Water Infrastructure Act" that authorized funding for $922 million to initiate the lock expansion project.