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Full Steam Ahead: Lock and Dam 13 nears completion

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.

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Infrastructure at the Lock and Dam is decades old.

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. 

I am currently a senior at Augustana College, majoring in Multimedia Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Creative Writing. I serve as the General Manager for WAUG.fm, Augustana's online student radio station and have worked as an intern and DJ at Studstill Media Group. I report on local news for WVIK and am honored and excited to be a part of the news team. I hope to pursue a career in radio broadcasting and an eventual master's degree in English or Communications.