Engineers move back reopen date for Wilson Lock
View SourceA new timeline was announced on Monday for the reopening of the Wilson Lock at the Tennessee River dam near Florence, Alabama.
The lock was shut down and placed in an “inoperable status” in September 2024 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported visible cracking in the main chamber gates and pintle assembly.
The chamber was dewatered in November 2024 to allow for a visible inspection of the gate’s components outside of the water. The Great Lakes & Ohio River Division’s Heavy Capacity Fleet (HCF) traveled to Florence to perform the inspection.
The initial estimated reopening date for the lock was announced after the inspection as April 2025, but a realistic assessment has pushed back the date to June 2025.
“The original timeline was our best estimate when it was released, based on what we knew from the dive and underwater drone inspections,” said Brian Mangrum, chief of the Nashville District’s Technical Support Branch. “Our estimate for the time required for the HCF to complete their repairs has moved about three weeks to the right. Much of this additional time is due to the specific bracing needs identified during the dewatered inspection and the placement location of that bracing.”
Although the Wilson Lock’s main chamber will be unavailable, water traffic flow will continue through the auxiliary chamber.
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