FLORENCE – The Tennessee Valley Authority and Army Corps of Engineers will be implementing an interim solution for the guard wall at Wilson Lock to allow normal operations to resume.
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 TVA said in a news release.
The TVA is using an interlocking system of three ocean barges and equipment to provide an interim guard wall solution to support navigation traffic at Wilson Lock. 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.
To ensure the barges were ready to be deployed immediately after the Corps finished its repairs and reopened Wilson’s Lock main chamber, the ancillary systems, including lighting, handrails, and electrical components, were installed at a docking area near Pickwick Dam in June.
The Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is closing the main lock to navigation July 14-28, while TVA installs the interim guard wall. The Corps will operate and keep the auxiliary lock open for navigation traffic during the installation.
TVA will provide construction management oversight, and our Equipment Support Services Group will provide boat services during positioning and installation of the ocean barges. The Corps of Engineers will be managing lock traffic.
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 impacts from Hurricane Ida in August 2021. Inspections showed there were no safety or environmental impacts to the dam.
TVA and the Corps of Engineers have been collaborating on this issue since day one to ensure impacts to navigation and the industry are minimal. 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.
While the interim solution is in use, TVA said it will continue to collaborate with various partners to seek funding for a permanent floating wall that mirrors the design of the original solution and includes modernized features.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
