Main lock open at Melvin Price
View SourceMississippi River traffic is returning to normal at the Melvin Price Lock and Dam 26 after the main lock was reopened recently following repairs to the man lock's gates and machinery.
River traffic had been slowed as towboats were forced to use the smaller secondary lock, causing mild backups and turning the riverfront in Alton and Godfrey into a parking lot.
The lock was closed in January and was scheduled to be completed by March 31. Repairs were mostly completed on time.
The Army Corps of Engineers planned the closure for when river traffic was slowest and has picked up in volume with the spring.
