A Good Look At Repairs Made At Bonneville Locks

Bonneville, Ore.– The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invited members of the media to an open house at Bonneville Lock and Dam .Reporters had an  opportunity to view the ongoing repairs to the navigation lock and speak with project managers and technical experts”Seeing this drained navigation lock firsthand really provides a unique sense of magnitude in both the size and scale of what it takes to safely pass ships and cargo along the Columbia River system.”The navigation lock was closed on Thursday, Sept. 5 after lock operators detected problems with the lock during operation. Engineers drained the lock on Sept. 6, performed an inspection and discovered the downstream concrete sill, a structure against which lock gates create a water-tight seal, was damaged and needed replacement. The Corps then closed the lock to vessels on the river to perform repairs.The lock is scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m.

Learn more: https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/News/Article/1957794/corps-of-engineers-officials-bonneville-navigation-lock-to-return-to-service-se/Barges with shipments are tied up along the Columbia waiting for the locks to reopen .  This situation has never happened before.  Engineers are dealing with new territory.