STARBUCK, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a contract May 9, 2016, to a Spokane, Washington, company to conduct repairs to the downstream navigation lock gates at Little Goose Lock and Dam on the lower Snake River.
The approximately $2.18-million contract was competitively awarded to Dix Corporation. The purpose of the work is to increase reliability and safe lock gate operations at Little Goose Dam.
Following an emergency outage in 2014 to repair a failing gudgeon arm, additional work is required during the FY17 outage to complete replacement of the aging components of the gate. Contract work will involve replacement of the remaining original gudgeon arm and linkage, replacement of the pintle assembly for both gate leafs. Structural repairs will include resurfacing the quoin and miter and crack repairs to structural members.
Little Goose’s lock went into service in April 1970, and most of the gate components being replaced are more than 45 years old -- nearing or exceeding their estimated service life. The downstream lock gate is comprised of two miter leafs, which operate together like a giant set of French doors. The gate is 118 feet tall and weighs about 675 tons. The lock chamber is 86 feet wide by 668 feet long with a maximum operating lift of 101 feet.
In May 2015, Corps planners announced the Columbia/Snake rivers inland navigation system will close for major rehab projects Dec. 12, 2016, through March 20, 2017. The 14-week-long closure will affect all Corps navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers, with critical, major repairs, routine maintenance and improvements scheduled to occur. Little Goose Dam’s lock gate repairs are planned to coincide with other work to occur during the 2016-2017 extended navigation lock outage. About 9 million tons of cargo worth $3 billion transit annually through locks on the Snake-Columbia inland navigation system, including about 40 percent of the nation’s wheat.
The extended lock outage plan is a coordinated effort between the Corps’ Portland and Walla Walla districts. The goal of coordinating the systemwide outage is to prioritize and accomplish urgently needed lock repairs along the Columbia and Snake rivers while minimizing the impact lock closures have on river users. To maximize this maintenance opportunity, additional work items may be added within the schedule, dependent upon available resources.
For more information about the upcoming Columbia-Snake rivers extended navigation lock outage and to sign up for email notification of updates, go online to http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/FY17LockOutage.aspx.
Public Notices and other Walla Walla District navigation lock information are available on the Internet at http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation.aspx.
Travelers can call 1-888-DAM-INFO (1-888-326-4636) for the most current dam-crossing information at Lower Granite, Little Goose and Lower Monumental dams on the lower Snake River in the Corps’ Walla Walla District.
-30-
Release no. 16-029