Cheatham Lock undergoing series of navigation closures

Courtesy Photo | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District announces that Cheatham Lock at Cumberland River mile 148.6 is undergoing a series of closures from April 22 through July 23. (USACE Photo by Amber Jones)  

ASHLAND CITY, TN, UNITED STATES

04.16.2021

Story by Leon Roberts 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. (April 16, 2021) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District announces that Cheatham Lock at Cumberland River mile 148.6 is undergoing a series of closures from April 22 through July 23.

According to Tadd Potter, Cheatham Lake Resource manager, maintenance workers are going to be cutting slots for stoplogs that require complete closure of the lock. There are also periods scheduled where the lock is going to be open with restrictions, Potter added.

Maintenance officials indicate that valve work begins April 21 with two separate two-day closures to take place at undetermined dates. They plan to provide a one-week notice prior to these closures. Work commences at 6 a.m. each day.

During the time of restricted openings, there is going to be a dewatering box protruding into the chamber approximately nine feet. To safely pass cargo through the chamber during the restricted openings, the following rules must be followed.

- Total dimensions of the boat and tow shall not be greater than 70-feet wide and 795-feet long.
- Normal size barges passing through doublewide during the restricted opening will have 31-feet of clearance.
- Chemical and fuel barges can only pass through single wide during the restricted opening and have 47-feet clearance.
- A helper boat is required to guide tows past the restricted area going up and downstream.

There is no guarantee recreational boats are going to be allowed to lock through during the open periods. The Secretary of the Army has established the following priority for passing vessels though Locks.

- U.S. Government Fleet vessels
- Commercial passenger vessels
- Commercial tows or vessels
- Recreational boats

The lock is expected to return to operation 6 a.m. July 23, 2021 after completion of the project. The schedule can change due to unforeseen circumstances, including weather delays, high water, and unexpected mechanical issues.

A full maintenance schedule is available at www.lrn.usace.army.mil.

“We are doing our best to provide as much information about this maintenance effort and lock closure as possible so boaters and barge traffic that move up and down the river can plan accordingly,” Potter said.

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. The public can also follow and receive Cheatham Lock updates at www.facebook.com/cheathamlake.)

• Date Taken: 04.16.2021
• Date Posted: 04.16.2021 18:11
• Story ID: 394106
• Location: ASHLAND CITY, TN, US