06/22/2026
Cayce Grall, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, provides an update from the Chickamauga Lock Replacement project.
As of Friday, June 19, all eight massive concrete beams for the upstream approach wall contract (CJ Mahan) have been successfully placed.
These are incredibly large structures, each beam measures 120 feet long, weighs roughly 420 tons, and has been carefully preserved since they were originally fabricated back in 2010.
Moving and placing them required an immense amount of coordination and precision. Following extensive preparatory meetings, morning safety briefings, and rigorous load tests, two heavy-lift derrick crane barges worked in tandem to maneuver the beams into place. Once the beams were lowered into the river, specialized dive teams went underwater to check them and make sure they were perfectly lined up and sitting exactly where they needed to be.
This milestone is a testament to the hard work, communication, and dedication of our contractors, USACE personnel, safety teams, crane operators, and divers. Safety and precision were at the forefront of this entire operation.
The upstream approach wall is critical for guiding vessels safely into the new lock chamber. While there are four final beams left to install in a future phase under the downstream approach wall and decommission contract, we are proud to celebrate the successful placement of these eight massive beams.
