MOBILE, Ala. – Holt Lock and Dam in Cottondale, Ala. is estimated to remain closed for approximately three to five months as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District implements repairs to the structure’s monolith.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District closed the Holt Lock and Dam in Cottondale, Alabama, on June 22 as a safety precaution after increased cracks and leaks were discovered in the lock’s infrastructure.
Since the closure of the lock and dam the Mobile District has worked closely with industry to develop both a short-term and long-term repair plan. Replacing the bulkhead of the Lock will be done in the short term, which will take three-to-five months.
For the long-term repair solution, the district would install anchors in the lock and dam to reduce pressure to the monolith bulkhead. However, the timeline for this solution has not been determined.
The timeline of three-to-five months is due to the manufacture time required to construct the 18ft-by-36ft steel enforced bulkhead that would reinforce the monolith to allow the lock to safely operate.
Ashely Ward, Holt Lock and Dam supervisor, said he started noticing changes to the dam in May when they were finishing work on repairing the Demopolis Lock and Dam, and those concerns led to the closure of Holt Lock and Dam.
![Mobile District closes Holt Lock and Dam]()
