Chittenden Locks large chamber opens early to vessel traffic

Chittenden Locks large chamber is now scheduled to open 5 days early at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov 27. With annual maintenance and inspections being completed ahead of schedule, operations will return to normal for both large and small chambers. Current locking through information is available at http://bit.ly/BoaterInfo

Crews do safety inspections and maintenance during the large chamber pump out and closure. The annual closure gives dam safety experts and maintenance staff an opportunity to dry out the chambers for thorough inspection and make necessary repairs. This routine maintenance is necessary and important in keeping the Chittenden Locks safe and operational as the locks approach the 100-year anniversary in 2017.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates the Chittenden Locks. The busiest in the nation, nearly 50,000 vessels lock through each year.

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.