FLORENCE — Commercial traffic is flowing again through the main lock at Wilson Lock.
With the Wilson Lock interim guard wall project completed, the Army Corps of Engineers has reopened the lock, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced.
TVA’s interim guard wall solution – an interlocking system of three ocean barges and equipment – will support navigation traffic through Wilson Lock’s main chamber. Each barge is 195 feet long, making the overall length of the temporary guard wall 585-feet-long. This interim solution is designed to last between five to 10 years.
Related story: Wilson Lock interim guard wall to be installed; main lock to be closed during repairs
The project will improve lock duration times for commercial vessels, reduce safety risks for workers, and support more than 11 million tons of goods that pass through Wilson Lock each year.
The process included lowering 140,000-pound spuds into the Tennessee River at an average depth of about 12 feet, the TVA said. A total of 10 spuds were installed to keep the barges in place.
Up until the closure of the main lock in September 2024, TVA’s Equipment Support Services Group provided boat support to commercial vessels to maintain navigation traffic.
The Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District had closed the main lock to navigation July 14, while TVA installed the interim guard wall. The Corps operated and kept the auxiliary lock open for navigation traffic during the installation.
The repairs came after the Wilson Lock floating wall that guides boats into the primary lock lost buoyancy, detached, and sank to the bottom of the reservoir. This was a result of impact from Hurricane Ida in August 2021. Inspections showed there were no safety or environmental impacts to the dam.
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