Ohio River re-opened to traffic

Ohio River re-opened to traffic

Traffic is moving again along the Ohio River after malfunctions shut down the Hannibal Locks and Dam last Wednesday. To allow traffic, an auxiliary lock was opened Sunday afternoon, eight hours ahead of schedule. Traffic, however, is still slow-going. It takes twice as long to pass a normal sized tow group through the auxiliary lock, as the lock is half the length of the main lock. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Chuck Minsker has said that it will take several days before all the traffic waiting in line (over 40 tows as of yesterday afternoon) will be able to pass through the auxiliary lock. The main lock is expected to admit river traffic on November 15. The Corps released a statement Sunday: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District Repair Fleet accelerated their maintenance efforts on the auxiliary lock, replacing the land wall emptying tainter valve and renovating its operating machinery, completing the job four days ahead of the original schedule,” said the statement. “The Repair Fleet will now focus their efforts on the emergency structural repairs to the lock gate quoin seals in the primary lock chamber.” All river traffic was shut down last week after the large chamber stopped working during a routine maintenance of the auxiliary chamber.