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Community Corner

Rep. Lipinski Helps Secure Funds for Safety Upgrade at Lockport Lock That Will Protect Community and Ensure Continued Operations of Local Economic Engine

Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) has announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will soon be moving forward with a major rehabilitation project at the Lockport Lock and Dam.  Nearly 12 million dollars will be used to construct a replacement forebay wall that holds water used in the functioning of the lock.  The procedure will reinforce and modernize existing infrastructure, helping to prevent a catastrophic failure of the wall and thus better protect the local community from flood.   

 

“This project is an important step in rebuilding our aging water transportation system,” said Rep. Lipinski.  “It will not only protect the local Lockport community, but also ensure the continued positive economic impact of a properly functioning waterway system.  According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, roughly $81 billion in goods are shipped through Illinois waterways and ports, helping to support 48,195 jobs.”

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The project manager has confirmed that navigation through the area will not be impacted with this upcoming construction.  The cost to complete this critical project is due to the scope of work and the risks associated with this particular type of work.  Congressman Lipinski is the state’s most senior member on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

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According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lockport Lock and Dam is 110 feet wide by 600 feet long.  It is 291 miles above the confluence of the Illinois River with the Mississippi river at Grafton, Illinois.  The complex is two miles southwest of the city of Lockport, Illinois.

 

The lock opened in 1933.  It was one of five designed and partially constructed by the state of Illinois over a period from 1923 to 1930.  The complex was about 97 percent complete when construction was turned over to the federal government due to state financial difficulties. 

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