FLORENCE, Ala. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District has revised the timeline for completion of repairs to the main chamber of Wilson Lock near Florence, with reopening of the lock now estimated in June 2025.
The main chamber was placed in an inoperable status in September 2024 due to observed cracking in the chamber gates and pintle assembly. Dive-certified lock mechanics and a Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) team from USACE obtained photos of the cracks, and the district developed an estimated timeline for repair which initially estimated a reopening date of April 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. “Inspections in dry conditions helped inform our repair plans and led to changes from what was initially predicted before the dewatering.”
The Nashville District dewatered the lock in November 2024 to enable a physical inspection of the components outside of the water. The Great Lakes & Ohio River Division’s Heavy Capacity Fleet (HCF) traveled to Florence to conduct this work.
While the general scope of work to repair the lock has not changed, the dewatered inspection impacted the district’s plan for lifting and supporting the gates and the sequencing required to install the steel bracing on the gates during construction.
“Our estimate for the time required for the HCF to complete their repairs has increased by about three weeks,” said Mangrum. “Much of this additional time is due to the specific bracing needs identified during the dewatered inspection and the sequencing of work required for the placement of that bracing.”
“In addition, the complexity of this repair necessitates technical review at various stages of design, to ensure the safety of vessels and their crews,” he added.
The district is committed to maintaining traffic flow through Wilson Lock as much as possible during the main chamber outage. The auxiliary chamber is currently open for vessels to transit.
The district will look to save time during the repair wherever possible – lifting and repairs to the gates will be done to both gate leaves concurrently to maximize efficiency. However, the district’s first priority is to ensure the repairs are conducted safely and in accordance with the highest engineering standards.
More updates will be available as repairs continue at Wilson Lock.
The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/About/Districts/Nashville-District/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on X (formerly Twitter) at www.x.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.
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