April 21, 2021 By Frank McCormack
The Mobile Engineer District announced April 14 the emergency closure of Coffeeville Lock at Mile 116.6 of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway (BWT) due to damage to the lower miter gate’s operating machinery, which rendered the lower gate inoperable.
Chad Brumelow with the BWT/Alabama-Coosa Project Management Office said the closure was triggered by a crack in the reaction roller assembly for the lower miter gate.
“It wasn’t any kind of one incident,” Brumelow said. “This was a crack in a reaction roller assembly, so more than likely it’s long-term fatigue that caused the cracking.”
Brumelow said the lock, which is the lowermost lock on the system, will likely be closed four to five days, with a targeted reopening of April 19.