The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has advanced a proposal to replace the lock on the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, moving a controversial project that has been under consideration for decades one step closer to reality.
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle has closed out the environmental review process for the lock project, officially called the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock Replacement project, and selected the final version of the plan from a set of options that the Corps had analyzed. Shipping interests have long sought the project to address barge traffic bottlenecks at the key location.
“The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock is a vital artery for regional and national commerce, and we have a responsibility to move projects like this from review to reality,” Telle said in a statement. “By completing this environmental review efficiently and rigorously, we are clearing the path to deliver a modern, resilient lock system that relieves costly navigation bottlenecks, strengthens supply chain reliability, and supports American commerce.”
The Corps aims to replace the current version of the lock with a shallow-draft lock chamber that would be 900 feet long and 110 feet wide. The new lock would be a few city blocks north of the existing lock on the Industrial Canal…