Posted on June 13, 2022
VICKSBURG, Miss. —The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will temporarily close Lindy C. Boggs, Lock and Dam (L&D) to navigation on the Red River during two separate periods, Aug. 30–Sept. 28 to dewater the upstream gate and Oct. 14–Nov. 12 to dewater the downstream gate.
Tows should expect delays during daylight hours from August 15–30 while maintenance crews stage materials and equipment in preparation for the dewatering. Crews will also remove silt and debris from the stoplog seals in the upstream miter gate bay during this time.
The lock will temporarily reopen Sept. 29–Oct. 13 to allow traffic to pass. Mariners should plan for potential delays during this time as maintenance crews stage equipment and clean stoplog seals in preparation for the downstream gate bay dewatering. The district plans to allow the initial vessel queue to pass before beginning work that could result in minor delays during daylight hours.
During the dewatering’s of the upper and lower gate bays, the district will make repairs, inspect the structure, and plan for future maintenance.
The Vicksburg District remains vigilant in communicating the status of the scheduled closure with the Red River Valley Association, the Coast Guard, and other partners and stakeholders.
The upcoming closure has been coordinated with the USACE New Orleans District’s dewatering of Old River Lock, located upriver of Red River Landing near Angola, Louisiana.
The district’s Maintenance Section plans to repair the downstream floating guide wall rails and replace guide wall timbers in July. Minimal impacts to navigation are expected during daylight hours.
A previous notice stated Boggs L&D would be closed Aug. 1–Sept. 15 to dewater the upper gate and Oct. 1–30 to dewater the lower gate.
Boggs L&D is the first lock and dam on the Red River and part of the J. Bennett Johnston (JBJ) Waterway system. Located on the Red River at mile 43.8 about 11 miles north of Marksville, Louisiana, the lock and dam system is part of the Monroe Navigation Project Office and operated by a contracted company.
The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway traverses over 225 miles from its confluence with the Atchafalaya River to Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana. The waterway includes five locks and dams and five ports, which handle approximately 9 million tons of commodities per year and support over 1,300 jobs. The waterway offers convenient, cost-effective access to regional, national, and international markets. Commodities that have been the staple for the ports include refined oil products, fertilizer, construction grade sand & gravel and steel products.
The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.
