Brandon Locks Project near Joliet moves forward in battle against invasive carp

The Brandon Road Locks Interbasin Project on the Illinois River in Joliet Township took a significant step forward with the first construction contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The $15.5 million contract was awarded Nov. 27 to Miami Marine Services for site preparation and riverbed rock removal for the engineered channel, according to a news release from the IDNR.

Miami Marine will partner with Michels Construction of Milwaukee for completion of this contract.

Brandon Road is a federal project, and together, Illinois and Michigan serve as the nonfederal sponsors. This initial construction contract is for the first of three construction increments for the estimated $1.15 billion project designed to prevent the upstream movement of invasive carp into the Great Lakes, according to the IDNR release.

“Awarding the first construction contract is an exciting and important step forward for this long-anticipated project,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in the release. “The Great Lakes are a priceless natural resource and a vital economic engine for the nation. Protecting them for future generations will always be a priority for the state of Illinois.”

On July 1, Illinois signed a project partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Michigan allowing construction of the barrier project, according to the release.

The agreement allows $274 million in federal funding and $114 million in state funding from Illinois and Michigan, according to the release.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam has been identified as the critical pinch point where layered technologies could be used to stop invasive carp populations from moving into the Great Lakes, according to the IDNR.

The Brandon Road project will implement a complex series of innovative deterrents at the lock and dam site to prevent the upstream movement of invasive carp “and other aquatic nuisance species on the Illinois Waterway,” according to the IDNR.

Experts from the department’s offices of water resources, capital planning and fisheries have worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the preconstruction, engineering and design phases of the project, which started in December 2020.

Go online for more information about the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.