MATAGORDA, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District will begin maintenance repair work at the Colorado River Locks in Matagorda, Texas, to include installation of an impressed current cathodic protection system on the eight sector gates to extend the life of the navigation structures.
The locks will be periodically closed to all navigation traffic beginning the week of Feb. 17, 2014, through the end of March 2014. Closures will normally last for a period of no longer than 12 hours in a 24 hour period, typically during daylight hours.
“The new impressed current cathodic protection system will prevent corrosion to the sector gates caused by the extremely corrosive saltwater environment,” said Eric Russek, a project operations manager with the USACE Galveston District. “We estimate the new system will increase the typical 10-year period between gate rehabilitations by about two years.
According to Colorado River Locks Lockmaster Simon DeSoto, navigation notices will be posted 24 hours in advance of closures on the USACE Galveston District website at www.swg.usace.army.mil (click on locations, then Colorado River Locks). Mariners may also call the lockmaster for status updates at (979) 863-7842.
DeSoto advises recreational boaters to use Braggs Cut during lock closure periods.
A contract was awarded September 2013 to Inland Construction and Engineering Inc. of Panama City, Fla., in the amount of $1,172,000.
There are approximately 250 locks in the United States that are currently operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The USACE Galveston District operates two lock facilities, one at the Colorado River Locks and the other at the Wallisville Lake Project.
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