Reposted: The Ballard Locks will be closed to all pedestrian traffic today and tomorrow. Vessel traffic will be stopped from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. those two days.
The 95-year-old Locks are showing their age. Water has caused erosion along part of the small lock wall creating a scour. “There have been scour problems documented in a nearby area for 30 years. The first major repair was done in 1985 to the apron,” said Marian Valentine, a hydraulic engineer in charge of operations and maintenance of the facility. “Water is very destructive so we actively monitor the locks and make interim repairs where necessary.”
The Corps has contracted with a Port Gamble construction company to drive sheet piles adjacent to the wall to act as armor. The hope is this armor will prevent future erosion. The sheet piles will also be used as forms so concrete can be pumped in to fill the void.
