Chattanooga’s river transportation artery will be blocked for nearly four weeks, starting next month, while crews assess and repair the aging Chickamauga Lock.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remove the water from 360-foot-long lock starting July 20 to inspect the condition of the 70-year-old structure. The planned 27-day closing of the lock is one of three such closings this year at East Tennessee locks, part of the corps’ maintenance of the navigation channel for the 652-mile-long Tennessee River.
“Barge operators try to plan their schedules around these lock closings which, fortunately for most locks, come only every five years or so,” said Clive Jones, executive director for the Tennessee River Valley Association, a trade group for river users based in Athens, Ala. “In most instances, customers are able to plan ahead and get their shipments early to avoid any disruptions.”
Emptying the locksThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is “dewatering” its three East Tennessee locks this year for maintenance work* Fort Loudon near Lenoir City, Tenn., was idled from April 20 through May 11* Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga will be idled from July 20 through Aug. 16* Watts Bar Lock near Spring City will be idled from Oct. 12 through Nov. 2Source: U.S. Army Corps of EngineersChickamauga Lock history* 1940 — TVA opens 360-by-60-foot lock through the Chickamauga Dam* 1970s — TVA discovers problems with “concrete growth” in the lock chamber* 1999 — Army Corps of Engineers assumes control of the lock and begins “aggressive maintenance” of existing lock* 2003 — Congress authorizes construction of a 110-by-600-foot replacement lock* Road and bridge relocations completed and built on the north shore of the lock for construction of the new lock* 2007 — Construction of coffer dam begins for new and bigger lock* 2011 — Construction of the new lock walls could begin* 2015 — Construction could be completed of the new lock, pending funding by the CongressSource: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
But the Chickamauga Lock is having to be drained and inspected at least once every three years because of ongoing problems with “concrete growth” at the lock caused by the reaction of the stone in the cement with the surrounding river water, officials said Monday.