Photo By Noe Gonzalez | SPRING CITY, Tenn. — Barnhart crew members use a hydraulic power system to lift a...... read more read more
SPRING CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 2, 2025) After more than a decade in storage, 120-foot-long concrete wall beams — each weighing more than 463 tons — are finally on the move.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District began transporting the first of 12 upstream approach wall beams by barge from Watts Bar Dam to the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project site. The approximately seven-hour trip marks a major milestone in the long-term effort to deliver a safe and reliable lock for the Tennessee River Valley.
“These beams are a critical component of the upstream approach wall contract, and getting them to the site is a huge step forward,” said Bob Winters, project manager for the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project. “We are working with our partners to deliver the wall beams safely.”
Contractor CJ Mahan subcontracted Barnhart to safely transfer massive wall beams onto a barge bound for Chickamauga Lock, using a hydraulic power system to carefully move the heavy infrastructure.
Currently, three barges are rotating deliveries, transporting one to two beams per day over the next two to three weeks, with operations continuing through mid-September.
Originally fabricated under a 2010 contract, the beams are built to last. Each measures 120 feet long, 10 feet high and 10 feet wide, and tips the scales at roughly 926,000 pounds each. Completed in 2013, a total of 42 beams were produced — 12 designated for the upstream approach wall and 30 for the downstream wall. Since completion, they have been stored at TVA’s Watts Bar facility in Spring City, Tennessee.
What’s next?
Once delivered, each beam is lifted into place by a large crane and set between the bridge supports near the river. Crew members then install thick steel restrainer bars to connect the beams to the piers.
The nose pier, located on the Riverside wall, have been lowered to its final configuration Aug 6 in preparation for the wall beam delivery. The nose pier caps off the structure and is designed to help vessels align with the lock entrance. The approach wall also offers mooring space for large tows, improving both the safety and efficiency of lock operations.
With the upstream approach wall contract now 68% complete, the wall beam delivery brings the project closer to the finish line. Once the beams are set, final demobilization efforts will begin. Completion for this contract is currently projected for early 2026.
“Watching the transport of the beams is incredibly exciting and a testament to the hard work of both the government and contractor teams in executing this contract as efficiently and safely as possible,” said Cayce Grall, project site manager. “These beams represent an important step toward bringing the lock to full operational capability.”
The Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project remains a top priority for the Corps, delivering a safe and reliable lock for the Tennessee River Valley to ensure continued commercial navigation along one of the nation’s most important inland waterways. The new lock, 110 feet by 600 feet, will be able to process nine jumbo barges in one lockage compared to one barge per lockage in the existing lock — an 80% increase in efficiency for the navigation industry.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2025 16:45 |
| Story ID: | 547050 |
| Location: | SPRING CITY, TENNESSEE, US |
| Hometown: | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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