Stronger gates, stronger river: Lock and Dam 9 upgrade secures Upper Mississippi Navigation
The Upper Mississippi River lock and dam system was constructed in the 1930s, when steamboat traffic ruled the waters. Now, to keep up with the demands of the navigation industry, the district locks and dams are receiving critical infrastructure upgrades.
This summer, the four miter gates at Lock and Dam 9, near Lynxville, Wisconsin, were replaced. The St. Paul District is on a mission to replace all the miter gates at locks 2-10. The completion of this installation represents another step forward in ensuring navigation remains open on the river.
“The original gates were sufficient for the smaller, slower barge traffic of the 1930s, but now we used our knowledge about how the river is affected by ice in the wintertime and currents to design these gates,” said Jim Cook, project manager.
The new gates are the same length, width and height as the old gates but 50% heavier. The gates, which were designed by USACE engineers, reflect a better understanding of the needs of the river and the demands of the industry.
“The gates’ expected design life was 50 years, but through careful maintenance and periodic inspection under the watchful eyes of engineers and operators, we were able to extend the useful life of the miter gates almost 50 years,” said Cook. “The new gates have a similar design life of 50 years but with the same diligence, it wouldn’t be surprising to get more than 50 years out of them.”
Soup to nuts, a USACE project
This four-day install was the culmination of 4-5 years of work, said Cook. “I’m particularly fond of this project because, soup to nuts, it was a USACE project that will benefit the region and the country.” The project was designed by USACE engineers and construction and contracting was supervised by USACE professionals. The gates took two years to fabricate in Alabama and were then moved via barge to their final destination in Wisconsin.
The installation was done by the St. Paul District maintenance and repair crew in conjunction with our sister district, Rock Island, inception to completion to operation to providing real benefits to the country, this project is wholly contained by USACE, and it’s pretty impressive when you see it,” said Cook.
Navigation is vital to the nation’s economy
“Navigation is an underappreciated economic multiplier for the region and the nation,” said Cook. “It’s the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way to move a large amount of materials such as grain and corn.”
More than 8.6 million tons of commodities passed through Lock and Dam 9 in 2025. Industries making these shipments save approximately $430 million annually by using the inland waterways instead of overland shipping methods. One 15-barge tow is equivalent to 216 rail cars or 1,050 semis. Shipping bulk commodities on the river reduces wear and tear on America’s roads and bridges and does so as the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly transportation mode compared to rail or tractor trailer.
The St. Paul District navigation program provides a safe and reliable 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.
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