Illinois Waterway 2023 Consolidated Maintenance Closures Update

Dear Illinois Waterway Stakeholders,

We’re past the halfway point for this summer’s Illinois Waterway maintenance closures, and work is well underway at Marseilles, Dresden Island, and Brandon Road Locks.

Operations crews are on site performing welding and other repairs for several miter gate cracks that were discovered during detailed inspections after the chambers were dewatered – that’s not something we expected to be doing, but fortunately it won’t change the schedule.

At Brandon Road, machinery pit concrete is wrapping up, with plans to start installing machinery later this month.  Old anchorage concrete has been removed and there are already forms and rebar going in for the new anchorages.  The new upstream miter gate sill is formed up and concrete is placed.

At Dresden Island, demolition of old valve pits is ongoing, in preparation for the precast risers.  Work continues on utility trenches.  Rebar is drilled into the existing upstream sill and formwork is being placed.  The electrical crossover trench concrete removal is complete, and placement of conduits has begun.

At Marseilles, valve repairs are complete.  The electrical crossover trench has conduit placed in it, and new concrete has already been placed across the chamber floor and partway up the walls.  Weld repairs to the lower miter gates are already complete at Marseilles, and the remainder of the unexpected miter gate repairs should be done yet this month.

Later this month, lock chambers at Brandon Road and Dresden Island will be rewatered to install new miter gates at the upstream ends, and then the chambers will be “re-dewatered” to allow for final adjustments and the completion of construction activities before testing and commissioning in late September.  We will continue to post current information here: Navigation Status.  I’ll plan to send another update in about a month as we reach our final month of the closures.  Please feel free to call or e-mail if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Tom