CR Meyer Rebuild of Appleton Locks 1, 2, 3, & 4 nears completion

NEWS RELEASE – MEDIA ADVISORY

CR Meyer is completing work for the season on the (4) Appleton Locks on the lower Fox River.

Repairs on the locks, closed since 1982, began in April, 2006.

Work completed to date includes:

  • Miscellaneous concrete repairs at each lock.
  • Construction of 4 new replica lock tender houses.
  • Tuckpointing of the chamber walls.
  • Removal and replacement of the lock gates.
  • Removal and replacement or repair of all maneuvering gear and valve systems.
  • Repair work to lock approach walls
  • New electrical systems and site lighting.
  • Rip rap of the sluice way at Lock #1.
  • Stabilization work of the sluice way at lock #3.
  • Repair and painting of handrail.

Some statistics on amount of materials used:

  • New lock gate weigh approximately 28,000# per leaf.
  • Approximately 98,000 board feet of lumber was used in the gates.
  • Locks 1, 2 and 3 contained approximately 1860 cubic yards of sediment that was removed.
  • 70 cubic yards of mortar were used in the tuckpointing. A typical year for the tuckpointing subcontractor is 25 cubic yards.

Unique challenges discovered as work progressed:

  • Unique challenges included access to the sites to do the heavy lifting required for the gate removal and reconstruction.
  • Dewatering was an ongoing challenge after the canal was dewatered due to the storm drains that discharge into the canal.
  • Reconstruction of the mechanical gear due to its’ age and the historical significance led to some inventive reconstruction techniques.
  • The timber gate reproduction was done with today’s tools. To look at the work that was produced 100 years ago by hand and to see the fit was amazing.
  • Comment from Project Manager on overall condition of the locks considering their age, etc.
  • The lock chambers themselves were in good condition considering their age. In a few cases stone had to be replaced and brush cut out of the walls. Cleaning and tuckpoint was completed at each lock.
  • The mechanical gear was found to be as anticipated except where it was buried in sediment. Valves that were buried in sediment had to be replaced. The remaining items were removed, cleaned and repaired, repainted, and reinstalled. All bearings were replaced.
  • For the most part the old doors were in bad condition as was anticipated. The old doors were removed and disposed of.

Comment from Fox River Navigational System CEO Harlan Kiesow about the scope of the project.

  • This 2.2 million-dollar project completes one-third of the total restoration work on the lock system and will provide over four miles of additional watercraft navigation on the Lower Fox River.

PLANNED DEMONSTRATION:

  • DATE: December 15, 2006
  • TIME: 1:00 PM
  • LOCATION: Appleton Lock #4 at the end of E. Banta Ct. under the College Avenue Bridge, Appleton