Posted on May 11, 2026
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Nashville District terminated the lock chamber contract with Shimmick Construction Company, Inc. (SCCI), at the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, effective Friday. Officials said, “This decisive action is necessary to get the project back on track and protect taxpayer dollars.”
The decision to terminate results from USACE holding the contractor accountable for failure to prosecute the work with diligence, maintain project schedule, progress critical work, correct quality deficiencies, and manage project controls, it was stated.
Officials said, “The Nashville District actively collaborated with SCCI to improve efficiency of their execution and overall delivery of contractual obligations. Despite these efforts, the contractor’s inability to meet contractual obligations resulted in the government’s loss of confidence in their ability to perform the work required by the contract. As a steward of the American taxpayer dollar, USACE terminated SCCI’s contract to mitigate cost impacts that do not result in a positive return on American strategic infrastructure investment.
“This good management decision directly aligns with the Army Civil Works ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative, with a commitment to fiscal discipline and a focus on efficiency by terminating inefficient contracts to free up critical funds for investment in our nation’s most important infrastructure priorities.”
Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Commander Col. Daniel Herlihy said, “We are very proud of our team and the Nashville District for their leadership and professional management of the delivery of one of the nation’s critical infrastructure projects, the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project. Protecting the taxpayer’s investment requires having the right people overseeing our projects every single day. Our team recognized the root causes of this contractor’s delays and took decisive action. By terminating this contract, our USACE professionals enforced the high standards of accountability and efficiency thenation expects.”
USACE is exploring all contracting options to finish remaining lock chamber construction, maintain the overall project timeline, and to cross the goal line with an operational navigation lock in 2028.
