Helper Vessel Required After Ky. Lock Allision
The Nashville Engineer District announced September 8 that an assist boat is being used to help commercial tows navigate through Kentucky Lock following recent guard wall damage.
The lock, Tennessee River Mile 22.4 near Grand Rivers, Ky., sustained damage September 1 when a commercial tow carrying approximately 22,000 tons of crushed stone struck the floating guard wall, according to the district.
The Corps of Engineers initially restricted traffic to upbound lockages only. With the addition of the helper vessel, traffic resumed in both directions.
“Industry and USACE navigation staff developed an initiative to keep lockages active by allowing industry to hire an assist vessel, the mv. Emma Kate, and having the vessel assist every downbound tow into the lock chamber to prevent any contact with the lock wall,” said Caleb Skinner, supervisory navigation facility manager at the Nashville District’s Western Tennessee Area Office.
Engineers and maintenance personnel continued assessing repair options and evaluating potential impacts to navigation traffic if a temporary closure is necessary to repair the floating guide wall, according to the district. The Corps continues to lock recreational vessels between commercial lockages, but said that if commercial queue wait times increase significantly, the Corps could implement scheduled lockage windows for recreational traffic.
The Corps’ online Lock Queue Flotilla Report webpage showed an average transit delay of more than 42 hours at the lock over the course of the past 24 hours as of the evening of September 8. Thirty-two vessels were in the queue.
The Corps recently reported that the dewatering closure of Barkley Lock on the Cumberland River, 2.6 miles away via the Barkley Canal, was sending more traffic through Kentucky Lock than usual, adding to typical delays of eight to 10 hours per vessel. Barkley Lock is scheduled to remain closed through September 30 for miter gate repairs.
Featured photo caption: The mv. Emma Kate assists a commercial tow through Kentucky Lock September 8 near Grand Rivers, Ky. The Nashville Engineer District coordinated with industry partners to deploy the helper boat to ensure safe transit following damage to a floating guard wall on September 1. (Photo courtesy of the Nashville Engineer District)
