Three 2019 Lock Closures on Illinois River Will Delay Barge Traffic
The Starved Rock Lock and Dam on the Illinois River is one of the areas scheduled for a full 14-day closure, beginning Sept. 21, for repairs. (Photo courtesy of USACE)
The Illinois Waterway provides a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River and includes eight lock and dam sites that are long overdue for significant repairs, notes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In order to facilitate repairs, the USACE Rock Island District developed a consolidated repair schedule, which includes a short closure to locks in 2019 followed by two extended closures in 2020 and 2023. The closures are scheduled to take place simultaneously to lessen impact to commercial navigation as much as possible.
The current 9-foot channel lock and dam system on the Illinois River was built in the 1930s with an estimated life span of 50 years. "The structures have long outlived their life expectancy but continue to operate 24/7 due to the hard work and dedication of the men and women charged with maintaining the structures," USACE noted. "Nearly half of the District's employees are involved in some part of the maintenance or operation of the lock and dam and navigation system."
Dennis Shannon, Rock Island District manager for the Illinois Waterway, spoke at a meeting dealing with the lock closures sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau in Peoria, Illinois. Shannon said that the locks and dams on the Illinois River are "old and in need of repair.
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The Illinois Waterway provides a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River and includes eight lock and dam sites that are long overdue for significant repairs, notes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In order to facilitate repairs, the USACE Rock Island District developed a consolidated repair schedule, which includes a short closure to locks in 2019 followed by two extended closures in 2020 and 2023. The closures are scheduled to take place simultaneously to lessen impact to commercial navigation as much as possible.
The current 9-foot channel lock and dam system on the Illinois River was built in the 1930s with an estimated life span of 50 years. "The structures have long outlived their life expectancy but continue to operate 24/7 due to the hard work and dedication of the men and women charged with maintaining the structures," USACE noted. "Nearly half of the District's employees are involved in some part of the maintenance or operation of the lock and dam and navigation system."
Dennis Shannon, Rock Island District manager for the Illinois Waterway, spoke at a meeting dealing with the lock closures sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau in Peoria, Illinois. Shannon said that the locks and dams on the Illinois River are "old and in need of repair.
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