Lock and Dam Number 53 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lock and Dam No. 53 |
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Lock and Dam No. 53
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| Location | Illinois/Kentucky border |
| Coordinates | 37°11′57″N 89°02′14″W / 37.1993°N 89.0373°W |
| Opening date | 1929 |
| Operator(s) |  United States Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Wicket |
| Impounds | Ohio River |
| Length | 3,662 feet |
| Reservoir | |
| Normal elevation | was 290 feet above sea level |
Imagine a giant water elevator for boats! That's kind of what a lock and dam is. It helps boats move safely up and down rivers where the water level changes. Lock and Dam 53 was an important structure on the Ohio River. It was the 20th lock and dam you would find if you traveled upstream from where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River. This spot was about 962 miles downstream from Pittsburgh.
Lock and Dam 53 had two special "locks" for large barges. One lock was 1,200 feet long and 110 feet wide. The other was 600 feet long and 110 feet wide. These locks helped many boats carry goods along the river. This old lock and dam is now being taken down. A new, modern structure called the Olmsted Locks and Dam is replacing it.
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Why Locks and Dams are Important
Locks and dams are super important for moving goods across the country. They help make sure that big barges can travel smoothly on rivers. These barges carry all sorts of things, like coal, grain, and oil. Without locks and dams, it would be much harder and more expensive to transport these items.
How Lock and Dam 53 Helped Trade
Lock and Dam 53 was one of the busiest locks in the United States. In 2015, a huge amount of cargo passed through it. About 72.3 million tons of goods traveled through this lock. This made it the second most important lock in the country. Only Lock and Dam Number 52, which was also nearby, handled more cargo. This shows how vital Lock and Dam 53 was for the economy.
Building and Replacing Lock and Dam 53
Lock and Dam 53 was built a long time ago. It first opened in 1929. For many years, it helped keep river traffic moving. But over time, it became old and needed to be replaced.
The Olmsted Project: A Big Change
The plan to replace Lock and Dam 53 with the new Olmsted Locks and Dam has been a very big project. It was first planned to be finished in 1998. However, building such a large structure takes a lot of time and money. The project faced many delays.
By November 2016, the new completion date was set for October 2018. The cost of the Olmsted project also grew a lot. It started with an estimated cost of $775 million. But by 2016, the cost had increased to $2.9 billion.
Why Delays Cost Money
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a government agency. They are in charge of keeping rivers open for boats. They said that the delays in building the Olmsted project were very expensive. Each year the project was delayed, it cost about $640 million. This shows how important it was to finish the new lock and dam. The new Olmsted Locks and Dam will help keep river transportation strong for many years to come.
