Groundbreaking Planned on Construction of New Chickamauga Lock
June 14, 2005
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – TVA and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, for the construction of a replacement lock at TVA’s Chickamauga Dam.
A new lock at Chickamauga Dam will play an important role in the continued growth of the East Tennessee economy, said TVA Director Bill Baxter who will participate in the groundbreaking.
Baxter credited Congressman Zach Wamp and other members of Congress from the Valley for their work to obtain funding for the new lock. Congressman Wamp, Congressman John Duncan, Senator Bill Frist and Senator Lamar Alexander are scheduled to attend the groundbreaking at Chickamauga Lock.
“The Chickamauga Lock serves as a gateway for the transportation of many kinds of goods coming into and leaving the eastern part of the Tennessee Valley, and it also provides access for thousands of recreational boaters each year,” Baxter said. “Commercial traffic through the lock links the upper Tennessee Valley with terminals and industries on the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois and Arkansas rivers, the Gulf Coast and the Great Lakes, so building a new lock will benefit the economy of other regions as well.”
The initial construction of a cofferdam for the new lock is scheduled to begin in the 2008. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, however, has already received initial funding to begin work on road and utility relocations this summer.
The existing lock has structural problems caused by concrete growth, resulting in the expansion and deterioration of massive amounts of concrete in the lock. TVA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have conducted detailed studies of the condition of the lock and estimate that the existing lock needs to be replaced by 2012.
“The Tennessee River is a tremendous asset for the economic development of the entire region,” Baxter said. “It saves Valley shippers an average of $548 million a year, when compared with the costs of overland transportation.”
About 1.6 million tons of cargo is shipped through the Chickamauga Lock each year. About 3,000 recreational boats use the lock each year.
Chickamauga Lock is owned by TVA and operated by the Army Corps. Under an agreement between TVA and the Corps, the Corps has responsibility for funding, design and construction of a new lock.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.5 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.
Media Contact
Michelle Sherrard
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
