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....