Meldahl Main Chamber Closed For Dewatering

The main lock chamber at Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam, Ohio River Mile 436.2, is closed following a dive inspection November 20.

The lock needs to be dewatered to further investigate the miter gate and underlying concrete, the Huntington Engineer District said.

Brian Maka, public affairs officer for the district, said that tows are likely to experience delays in using the 110- by 600-foot auxiliary chamber. While the main chamber can accommodate a standard-sized tow, most tows will need to double-lock when using the auxiliary chamber. Maka said it typically takes 45 minutes for a tow to lock through the main chamber. A double locking through the auxiliary chamber extends that time to 2-1/2 hours for most tows. The lock will give priority to commercial traffic in the auxiliary chamber.

Maka said dewatering equipment must be brought in from Nashville, Tenn., to allow the investigation. There was no timeline available yet as to how long that might take or when the main chamber might be able to reopen.

Mariners are urged to contact the lockmaster via Marine Channel 13 for more information and coordination for lockage.