Senator Lamar Alexander says the latest Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan includes great news for East Tennessee – and everyone who benefits from river traffic passing through the Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga.
In addition to funding slated for the first three priority projects of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, the Corps of Engineers’ plan includes $29.9 million to continue construction of the new Chickamauga Lock, which restarted in 2015 after years of delay.
Senator Alexander said, “This funding will be enough to continue construction of the new Chickamauga Lock for the second consecutive year, which is great news for East Tennessee since it will help keep up to 150,000 trucks off I-75 and keep the cost of shipping goods low for Oak Ridge, Y-12, and manufacturers across the state. This year, members of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, which I lead, worked hard to ensure we could keep federal lock and dam projects fully funded for the second year, which was important for Chickamauga Lock after the project was restarted with $3 million last year.”
The FY16 Omnibus Appropriations bill signed into law in December included enough funding to continue construction at the Olmsted Locks and Dam, the Lower Monongahela River Locks and Dams and the Kentucky Lock with approximately $29 million left available to continue construction of the new Chickamauga Lock.
According to the Corps of Engineers Work Plan, the $29.9 million for Chickamauga Lock will be enough to begin lock excavation, install anchors and construct a retaining wall.