Reconstruction at Lock and Dam 13 near Fulton is well underway, and should be completed by the beginning of March.
Work on the lock began in December, as part of a long-term replacement project that has been going on at locks along the Mississippi River since the late 90s. The old bulkhead system, which removes water from the lock, was no longer safe and is being replaced.
Aaron Dunlop of the Rock Island District Army Corps of Engineers says the reconstruction work has to be done before the spring thaw, when commercial navigation resumes.
Dunlop says replacements and repairs at the lock are long overdue.
The project is costing the Corps of Engineers about $3 million. Traffic at Lock and Dam 13, which has been operating since 1939, should total around 3,000 boats and barges this year.