Planned Illinois River dam projects will stall barge traffic at Brandon Road

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans work at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam and other dams on the Illinois River in 2020.

The work is expected to interrupt river traffic, although the Brandon Road Lock and Dam will be closed only during daytime hours. The six projects run from the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to the LaGrange Lock and Dam near Versailles. A 60-day closure of the Peoria Lock and Dam is anticipated, while the Starved Rock Lock and Dam near Ottawa and the Marseilles Lock and Dam face up to 120-day closures for installation of new miter gates.

The Joliet project involves the installation of bulkhead recesses that will be needed for future maintenance when water is removed from the lock so the structure can be inspected, said Allen Marshall, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.