Near the confluence of the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers is where more commerce traverses than any other location on the entire U.S. inland waterways. With Olmsted, economic net benefits to the nation are more than $640 million annually, and the structures will pay for themselves in approximately four years. The Olmsted project consists of two 110’ x 1,200’ locks adjacent to the Illinois bank, and a dam comprised of five tainter gates, 1,400’ of boat-operated wickets and a fixed weir. The Olmsted Locks and Dam will eliminate aging structures Ohio River Locks and Dams 52 and 53. There will be a fourfold increase in efficiency as Olmsted provides for a single project with twin 1,200' locks. Reliability will also be significantly increased as the existing locks are decades beyond their designed service life.
Olmsted's operational achievement represents generations of innovation excellence, more than 45 million labor hours, and stands as an example of the benefits provided to the Nation and the Department of Defense from the work done by USACE on our Nation's critical inland waterways.
Fact Sheet
Locality Map
Photo Gallery
Project Review Plan
Olmsted brochure revised w mainstem FY15.pdf
Brochure (comprehensive)
Video: History of Locks and Dams 52 & 53
Video: From precast yard to river bed