Emergency Repairs Halt Ohio River Traffic Complete shutdown caused by inadequate funding of waterways infrastructure, critics say
A two-week scheduled closing of the Ohio River at Louisville, Ky., for the emergency repair of a navigation lock is expected to halt the transport of more than 2 million tons of cargo as well as affect tourism and shipping-dependent industries both up and down the river. Calling the closing a crisis, critics claim the economic disruption is the direct result of chronic underfunding of infrastructure on the nations waterways.
Divers inspecting the 250-ton gates at McAlpine Lock and Dam in late April or May discovered "a pretty significant crack" in one of the lower gates on the north side, says Col. Robert A. Rowlette Jr., commander and district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District. Subsequent dives persuaded officials that conditions warranted completely closing the lock for emergency repairs to forestall failure of the structure. Instead of 14 days to repair the gates, complete replacement would take 45 days, they estimate.