Columbia River locks shut down for annual maintenance

The $23 billion of commerce that flows along the Columbia River will pause for two weeks beginning March 2 as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District closes three navigation locks for annual inspections and maintenance.
 

The closure will include annual inspections and routine maintenance, as well as additional rappel inspections at John Day by a USACE climbing team.  

“These inspection periods are key to catching damages or operational issues sooner rather than later to minimize downtime and preventing the greater costs that come from unscheduled repairs,” said USACE project manager Ross Foster. “We are ready to efficiently complete the inspections and get river traffic back to regular service as quickly as possible.”  

Typically, the Portland and Walla Walla districts coordinate their annual lock closures across the Columbia-Snake River System. This year, each district is notifying the public separately due to different closure periods. Walla Walla District’s lock closure began Jan. 14 and ends Mar. 29.

USACE coordinates the annual lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize the impacts to those users. Visit Portland District’s website for more information about the Columbia River locks.

Portland District’s locks on the Columbia River pass 10 million of the 50.5 million tons of commerce shipped annually in the nation. Navigation is Portland District’s oldest mission, dating back to 1871.

The Columbia River locks are a vital piece of the nation’s transportation infrastructure with billions of dollars in wheat, soy, corn and minerals that move through the Columbia-Snake River System.