Posted on October 21, 2024
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $18.6 million contract to Abhe & Svoboda, Inc., of Jordan, Minnesota, Sept. 24, for dam maintenance on Lock and Dam 5A located near Fountain City, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River.
The project focuses primarily on sandblasting, painting, rehabilitation and other maintenance of the roller gates. The roller gates will be repainted grey. The work also includes rehabilitation of the roller gate bulkheads, Tainter gate bulkheads, and bulkhead storage carts, as well as installing corrosion protection on the roller gates.
“The maintenance work at Lock and Dam 5A ensures reliable operation of the dam roller gates for future years,” said Billy Thomson, project manager.
The repair work is on components of the dam structure only and will not impact navigation. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2028.
This project is funded under the authority of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1930. Design funding for this major maintenance effort was specifically provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The St. Paul District navigation program provides a safe, reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation system on the Upper Mississippi River for the movement of commercial goods and for national security needs. To do this, the district maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy.
