Kentucky & Barkley Locks & Dams

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Kentucky and Barkley Locks work as a system for passing barge traffic even though they are located on different rivers. Kentucky Lock and Dam is located on the Tennessee River 22.4 miles upstream of the junction with the Ohio River. Barkley Lock and Dam is located on the Cumberland River 30.6 miles upstream of the Ohio. The two rivers are connected by the Barkley Canal, which intersects the Tennessee River at mile 25.3 and the Cumberland River at mile 32.8. Kentucky’s lock chamber is 110’ x 600’ and has been in operation since 1944. Barkley was completed in 1966 and has a 110’ x 800’ lock chamber.

The Cumberland River downstream of Barkley Locks features several sharp turns (or bends) which limit navigation to one tow at a time. This, combined with varying flow levels on the Cumberland, cause the towing industry to favor using Kentucky Lock for loaded barges and Barkley Locks for empty barges.

The project, as authorized for construction by WRDA 96, recommends construction of a new lock chamber at Kentucky L&D measuring 1200’ by 110’, to be located landward of the existing 600’lock.  Ground was broken in October of 1999 on a new 110’ x 1200’ lock at Kentucky Lock.  The new lock will use in-sill intakes with wall filling valves and culverts located in lock walls.  A multi-port filling and emptying system will be used to fill and empty the lock chamber.  The Corps will use floating approach wall in the upper approach (similar to Olmsted walls) and is considering the use of pre-cast cofferdam which will become a permanent lock wall.  This would help to reduce congestion and interference with traffic using the existing lock.  The lower guide wall combines roller compacted concrete (RCC) with the foundation constructed “in-the-wet” (cast-in-place) to avoid costly cofferdam construction.  The upper guide wall and guard wall will be floating concrete pontoon walls.  Construction on the project began in July of 1998 and the scheduled completion date is 2011, depending upon funding.

The existing 110’ x 600’ lock will continue to be used as an auxiliary.  Kentucky Lock and Dam’s current single lock chamber is insufficient to handle increasing tonnage.  The lack of an auxiliary chamber forces tows to use Barkley Lock during periods of extended delays and closures.  Kentucky Lock is at 90% capacity and tows face average delays of 5 to 6 hours.