TVA, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is implementing the interim
solution for the guard wall at Wilson Lock – three, interlocking ocean barges will help
guide boats into the lock’s main chamber.
This system, which is designed to last between five to 10 years, will allow normal
operations to resume – supporting more than 11 million tons of goods that pass through
Wilson Lock each year.
FLORENCE – The Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
will be implementing an interim solution for the guard wall at Wilson Lock to allow normal
operations to resume, which will improve lock duration times for commercial vessels, reduce
safety risks for workers, and support more than 11 million tons of goods that pass through
Wilson Lock each year.
Starting on May 12, TVA began the mobilization of an interlocking system of three ocean barges
and equipment to provide an interim guard wall solution to support navigation traffic at Wilson
Lock. Each barge is 195 feet long, making the overall length of the temporary guard wall 585-
feet-long. This interim solution is designed to last between five to 10 years.
To ensure the barges were ready to be deployed immediately after the Corps finished its repairs
and reopened Wilson’s Lock main chamber, the ancillary systems, including lighting, handrails,
and electrical components, were installed at a docking area near Pickwick Dam in June.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is closing the main lock to navigation July
14-28, 2025, while TVA installs the interim guard wall. USACE will operate and keep the
auxiliary lock open for navigation traffic during the installation.
TVA will provide construction management oversight, and our Equipment Support Services
Group will provide boat services during positioning and installation of the ocean barges. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be managing lock traffic.
Additional Information:
On August 31, 2021, the Wilson Lock floating wall that guides boats into the primary lock
lost buoyancy, detached, and sank to the bottom of the reservoir. This was a result of
impacts from Hurricane Ida. Inspections showed there were no safety or environmental
impacts to the dam.
TVA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been collaborating on this issue since
day one to ensure impacts to navigation and the industry are minimal. Up until the
closure of the main lock in September 2024, TVA’s Equipment Support Services Group
provided boat support to commercial vessels to maintain navigation traffic.
While the interim solution is in use, TVA will continue to collaborate with various partners
to seek funding for a permanent floating wall that mirrors the design of the original
solution and includes modernized features.
Media Release/Adam May/TVA Media Relations
