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Olmsted Locks & Dam

Miniature picture of Olmsted Locks (under construction) - links to larger picture               miniature picture of artist's conception of the completed Olmsted Locks and Dam - links to larger picture

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Click these links for a one-page fact sheet with 2008 data:  HTML version   MS-Word version

Ground was broken on Olmsted Locks and Dam in 1996.  Locks and Dam 52 and 53 will be replaced with this single facility at mile 964.4 of the Ohio River.  The Olmsted project involves underwater foundation preparation, lift-in construction of the tainter gates and navigable pass shells for the dam, floating approach walls, directly connected hydraulic cylinder operation of the culvert valves, miter gates, tainter gates, and a central station to operate both the dam and the twin locks.  The project is currently scheduled for a 2021 completion, depending upon funding.

 

Olmsted Lock Site - 2008 Commodity Distribution

(values in million of dollars)

Commodity

Tonnage

Percent

Value

Percent

Coal

21,567,331

28%

$857

5%

Petroleum

6,591,656

9%

$964

6%

Crude Petroleum

52,554

0%

$5

0%

Aggregates

11,450,070

15%

$857

5%

Grains

9,905,057

13%

$1,587

9%

Chemicals

7,511,780

10%

$3,503

21%

Ores/Minerals

7,276,712

10%

$703

4%

Iron/Steel

8,422,213

11%

$4,837

28%

Other

3,332,703

4%

$3,687

22%

Total

76,110,076

100%

$17,000

100%

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics

According to the Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics for 2008, more than 76 million tons of commodities were shipped past the point where Olmsted is being built.  These shipments had a combined value of $17.0 billion.  The leading commodity shipped past the Olmsted Lock site was coal, which made up 28% of the total tonnage.

The state that shipped the most tonnage through this region was Louisiana, transporting more than 19.9 million tons of goods worth $6.2 billion.  Ores/minerals comprised over 33% of this amount. 

 

Olmsted Lock Site - 2008 Barge Tonnage Shipped from States

(values in million of dollars)

Shipments By

Tons

Value

Top Commodity

Louisiana

19,907,593

$6,253

Ores/Minerals

Kentucky

18,443,734

$2,447

Aggregates

Illinois

13,569,800

$1,260

Coal

West Virginia

5,244,623

$388

Coal

Indiana

4,766,434

$788

Grain

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics

 

Louisiana received over 28 million tons that would have moved through Olmsted Locks, with a combined value of $2.7 billion. Coal made up 40.2% of this amount.  Ohio was second in receipts of potential Olmsted Locks traffic, with 9.2 million tons.  See map for a graphical representation of state tonnage movements through Olmsted Locks.

 

Olmsted Lock Site - 2008 Barge Tonnage Shipped to States

(values in million of dollars)

Receipts By

Tons

Value

Top Commodity

Louisiana

28,138,283

$2,764

Coal

Ohio

9,296,634

$3,234

Coal

Kentucky

8,749,959

$2,099

Petroleum

Indiana

6,111,496

$673

Coal

Tennessee

4,128,852

$1,038

Ores/minerals

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics

 

Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District was the leading shipper of commodities past the Olmsted Locks site.  This district shipped over 15.3 million tons of ores/minerals, iron/ steel, chemicals and petroleum, with a combined value of $2.7 billion.  Kentucky District 1 was next, with 15.0 million tons.  See map for the top 10 Congressional Districts shipping Olmsted tonnage.

 

Olmsted Lock Site 2008 Barge Tonnage

Shipped from Congressional Districts

(values in million of dollars)

Shipments By

District

Tons

Value

Top Commodity

Louisiana

3

15,325,627

$2,905

Ores/Minerals

Kentucky

1

15,098,375

$1,271

Aggregates

Illinois

12

7,690,846

$577

Coal

Illinois

19

4,507,868

$279

Coal

Indiana

8

3,051,699

$449

Grain

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics

 

The leading Congressional District in receipts of potential Olmsted Lock commodities was Louisiana District 3, which received over 21.0 million tons.  This tonnage was mostly coal and grain, and had a combined value of  $1.8 billion.  See map for the top 10 Congressional Districts receiving Olmsted tonnage.

 

Olmsted Lock Site 2008 Barge Tonnage

Shipped to Congressional Districts

(values in million of dollars)

Receipts By

District

Tons

Value

Top Commodity

Louisiana

3

21,027,735

$1,890

Coal

Ohio

6

5,626,857

$2,415

Coal

Indiana

9

4,049,252

$372

Petroleum

Kentucky

1

3,733,018

$639

Coal

Ohio

1

3,265,257

$785

Iron/Steel Products

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics

 

Illustrative drawing of a floppy diskThe hyperlinks below enable downloading of the Word file containing the profile text on the lock.  To download a file, right click on the hyperlink, then choose "Save Target As" or a similar command to save the file.
Download Olmsted Word Document: (without maps) (with maps); Olmsted Traffic State Flows Map: (bitmap) (jpeg);  Map of Top 10 Congressional Districts Shipping Commodities past the Olmsted Site: (bitmap) (jpeg); Map of Top 10 Congressional Districts Receiving Commodities past the Olmsted Site: (bitmap) (jpeg);

Olmsted Construction Photographs as of June 1, 2000 - all jpegs: (photo1) (photo2) (photo3) (photo4)

Olmsted Photograph During Flood of March 1997: (jpeg)