L&D 52 Wickets To Be Repaired

The Louisville Engineer District has notified the River Industry Executive Task Force that given the current conditions, dive operations are likely to begin early this week at Lock and Dam 52 on the Ohio River to repair damaged wickets. 

The dive deflector box may be installed as early as July 9, dependent on the velocity measurements at the sill. Once the fleet moves into position in the navigable pass, the river will be closed to navigation.  

The Corps will attempt to open the 1,200-foot lock chamber to mitigate the situation. This process would take one or two days, with navigation expected to be halted through July 10.

The Corps said it believes it is necessary to repair the wickets to add reliability to the dam and allow for a shorter dam raising process. The goal is to keep Lock and Dam 52 operational to ensure the training benefits at Olmsted Locks and Dam, decreasing future navigation impacts once Olmsted becomes operational.