FLORENCE, Ala. (June 26, 2025) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District officials report that Wilson Lock at Tennessee River mile 259.4 is expected to reopen on or about June 30, 2025.
“This is ahead of the current scheduled completion date of July 8,” said Tim Fudge, Operations Division chief.
USACE closed Wilson Lock in September 2024 due to observed cracking in the chamber gates and pintle assemblies.
Maintenance crews with the Nashville District and Huntington District’s Regional Rivers Repair Fleet’s Heavy Capacity Fleet have been working to repair the lock since January. USACE also partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority, which fabricated new pintle assembly components and provided technical assistance. The pintle is essentially the hinge for each 650-ton miter gate leaf.
USACE completed installation of additional bracing and to the heel section of the gate leaves and valve repairs last week. TVA staff performed non-destructive testing to weld repairs and painting over the weekend and work crews are applying ceramic metal this week to the gate’s embedded quoin blocks, ensuring fitment is within prescribed tolerances. When this action is complete, the final steps involve removing equipment and bulkheads to rewater the chamber.
“This has been a major lift for USACE and our TVA partners,” said Lt. Col. Guillermo Guandique, Nashville District commander. “From the unscheduled nature of the outage to the high-water events and the custom-fabrication needs — the team overcame major challenges. I’m incredibly proud of the way our team communicated with the navigation industry, stayed mission-focused, and delivered this repair safely and professionally."
The lock operators, maintenance personnel, and administrative support elements are credited for keeping the auxiliary lock operating throughout the repair to the main lock. The auxiliary lock consists of two 60-by-300-foot chambers operating in tandem, which increases lockage times, especially for larger tows.
“During the outage of the main navigation lock, our lock operators stepped up to the challenge and worked around the clock to move barges one at a time through the auxiliary lock,” said Lock Master Brian Brewer.
The cost of this emergency repair to Wilson Lock is approximately $20 million. The main Wilson Lock is 110-feet wide by 600-feet long and has the highest single-lift east of the Rocky Mountains between 93 and 100 feet.
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 Twitter at www.twitter.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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