Army Corps of Engineers to close large lock in Ballard Nov. 6-20

Published Nov. 2, 2012

Seattle – The large lock at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard will close to all marine traffic from 9 a.m. Nov. 6 to 5 p.m. Nov. 20 for annual maintenance.

The small lock will still be available for vessels less than 115 feet in length and 26 feet in width throughout the large lock maintenance period. The scheduled repairs to the large lock are part of an annual general maintenance program. 

In conjunction with the Lock closure, BNSF Railway will make structural upgrades to the Ballard railroad bridge which crosses Lake Washington Ship Canal west of the Locks. High mast vessels able to use the small lock will not be able to pass the bridge during the BNSF Railway closure from 7 a.m. Nov. 7 to 5 p.m. Nov. 18.

More than 60,000 vessels safely transit the Locks each year between Lake Washington and Salmon Bay in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. For current information about activities at the Locks, visit the Locks’ Web site at http://bit.ly/BallardLocks or follow the Locks on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/chittendenlocks and http://twitter.com/ChittendenLocks.
Contact
Bill Dowell
206-764-3464
william.r.dowell@usace.army.mil

Release no. 12-041