Ohio River Lock No. 24 is a closed and mostly demolished lock and dam along the Ohio River near Racine, Ohio.
Ohio River Lock No. 24 is a closed and mostly demolished lock and dam along the Ohio River near Racine, Ohio.
Ohio River Lock No. 24, located at mile 242.5, was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1916. 1 The Sheridan & Kirk Contracting Company was the primary contractor for the project.
The Gallipolis Lock and Dam, located at mile 279, was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers at the cost of $10.4 million. 2 3 Recommended by the Corps in 1932, approved by Congress in 1933, funded by the federal Public Works Administration, and authorized by the River and Harbor Act of August 1935, work on the project began shortly thereafter. 3 The locks were placed into operation on August 25, 1937. The completed structure measured 1,116 feet in length 2 and replaced Dams Nos. 24, 25, and 26. 4 It featured two locks: a primary lock for commercial barge traffic measuring 600 feet long by 110 feet wide, and an auxiliary lock measuring 360 feet long by 110 feet wide. 3
Lock No. 24 was decommissioned in August and removed in October. 5
The Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1985 and the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 authorized major improvements, including a $244.5 million lock replacement, a $46.7 million dam rehabilitation, and a $13.8 million fish hatchery mitigation. 2 4 These projects aimed to modernize the lock chambers to accommodate larger tows and barges. Construction began in November 1987 and was completed in January 1993. The renovated facility featured two locks: a primary lock for commercial barge traffic measuring 1,200 feet long by 110 feet wide, and an auxiliary lock measuring 600 feet long by 110 feet wide.
Further rehabilitation of the dam began in August 1992 and concluded in 2002. 2 This phase included the installation of eight new roller gates, along with the replacement of control units, the motor control center, and electric feeders. In January 1993, the Gallipolis Lock and Dam was renamed in honor of West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd.
Details
- State: Ohio, West Virginia
- Route: Ohio River
- Status: Demolished (Replaced)
- Type: Lock
Sources
- “River News.” Portsmouth Times, 30 Jun. 1916, p. 19.
- “Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- “In-Between Projects.” Ohio River Navigation. 1979, pp. 33-35.
- Johnson, Leland R. The Ohio River Division. 1992, pp. 158, 348-350.
- “River Projects’ Work Lists Cut By Contractors.” Evening Review, 29 Oct. 1937, p. 6.