Beginning new Chickamauga lock

EDITORIAL STAFF
CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS
JUNE 17, 2005

Sen. Bill Frist, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Rep. John Duncan of Knoxville and Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga are scheduled to be here tomorrow for a most significant, highly important event - groundbreaking for an essential new lock at Chickamauga Dam.

The present 65-year-old lock is deteriorating rapidly. If it failed without replacement, it would cut off Tennessee River traffic for 318 miles above Chattanooga. That adversely would affect 3,000 jobs and $200 million in annual payrolls.

Besides, can you imagine how many 18-wheelers would be added on our highways to carry the 25 million tons of freight currently moving by water from above Chattanooga on the Tennessee River, Ohio River and Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and the rest of the world?

Our waterways are a federal responsibility, so it is appropriate for a federal project to replace the Chickamauga lock, part of a 14-lock system on the Tennessee River.

Our senators and representatives deserve thanks for their good work to meet the Chickamauga lock need. We are greatly relieved to have this much-needed work begin.