How did the St. Lawrence Seaway affect trade on the Erie Canal?

The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 significantly impacted the Erie Canal by contributing to a decline in its commercial utility.12

While the Erie Canal had previously served as a vital cargo route connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, it faced increasing competition from railroads and the newly completed St. Lawrence Seaway. The Seaway provided a deep-draft, continuous navigable waterway that allowed ocean-going vessels to reach the industrial and agricultural heartlands of North America directly. As a result of this competition, traffic on the Erie Canal dwindled, and its primary function shifted from commercial freight transport to recreational use.123