Teamwork Brings Historic Day to Reality

Zach and Senate Majority Leader Frist

Replacement of the Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River commenced as the first drill penetrated the soil in an elaborate ceremony today in the presence of elected and appointed officials who have been instrumental to progress along the way.

Congressman Wamp (R-TN) joined Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senator Lamar Alexander, Rep. John Duncan, TVA Director Bill Baxter, Lt. Col. Byron Jorns of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the banks of the Tennessee River to witness firsthand the construction of road and utility relocations as this large, complex project begins.

Congressman Wamp Talks to Corps Top Brass

“Commencements mark beginnings,” said Congressman Wamp. “As we break ground on the Chickamauga Lock, we must thank those who carried the lion’s share the House Appropriations Committee, the Majority Leader and Senator Alexander. With their extraordinary coordination and support, today marks the beginning of a project that is vital for the safety and sustainability of all Tennesseans.”

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress passed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act to lift our nation out of the depths of the Great Depression. While securing jobs through government protection and stimulating private investments, the TVA Act was written to improve navigation and provide flood control along the Tennessee River. Construction on the Chickamauga Lock began shortly after the enactment of the TVA Act (1936), and it was completed in 1941.

“Today marks a decade of teamwork.”

Fifteen years ago, the Corps of Engineers assessed the Chickamauga Lock and found irreversible structural problems called “concrete growth.” The Lock, which currently handles about 1.6 million tons of traffic each year, enables more than 1600 barges to travel annually by way of the Tennessee River. Replacement of the Lock has been critical to maintain transportation rates, regulate traffic on roadways, and protect commerce in nineteen different states in the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Flag Procession by Mike Battery Color Guard

“We stand here today because of the incredible teamwork demonstrated by the legislative branch,” said Congressman Wamp. “We stand here as full partners to move this exciting project forward for the southeastern United States.”