Chickamauga Lock and DamA gate failure at the Chickamauga Lock will shut down the river passageway for the next three weeks.
The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the lock through the Chickamauga Dam in Hixson, said today that a routine inspection revealed that the anchorage of the upper gate requires immediate repair. The unexpected shut down of the lock occurred around 5 p.m. Monday afternoon and has shut off through traffic by commercial and recreational boats in Chattanooga.
Jeff Ross, Nashville District Navigation Branch chief for the Corps of Engineers, said the anchorage assembly has to be removed to allow for a more complete inspection of the area before repair plans are finalized.
“The Corps will begin repairs as soon as possible after its evaluation is completed,” Ross said. “I am well aware of the impacts this closure has on commercial and recreational vessels moving up and down the Tennessee River. We are moving as quickly as possible to address the situation.”
The Chickamauga Lock, originally constructed in the 1930s, suffers from concrete growth in the rock aggregate of the lock chamber. To maintain the existing lock, the Corps has had to install extra anchors and support systems as part of what the Corps calls “aggressive maintenance.”