Costello Lock Closed Due to Silt Build Up

The Jerry F. Costello Lock on the Kaskaskia River, near Modoc, Ill., has been closed due to silt and debris build up on the lock sill and chamber, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said.

Contracted divers were utilized to remove underwater obstructions, but the issue with the gate persists, USACE's St. Louis District said in a statement on Tuesday. Crews from the St. Louis District’s Motor Vessel Pathfinder are on site to excavate silt that is preventing the downstream miter gates from closing from properly closing.

“Our goal at the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam is to maintain reliable navigation to the region. After assessing the findings of the dive inspection, the St. Louis District’s Mechanical Dredging crew is actively working to safely reopen the lock as soon as possible,” Courtney Wilson, operations manager for Carlyle Lake and Kaskaskia River Project said.

The Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam (formerly the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam) is located on the Kaskaskia River at the confluence of the Mississippi River at river mile 117, a few miles down river from St. Louis. Traffic on the river varies from barge traffic carrying grain, slag, coiled steel, etc. to small recreational pleasure crafts. The Lock and Dam also provides an opportunity for safe harbor for those wishing to tie off away from the Mississippi River.