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Top view of the small locks at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle, Washington, that together with the large locks, maintains the water level of the freshwater Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20 to 22 feet above sea level, and prevents saltwater intrusion - the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes. Large Laser Cutter
Photo of the small locks at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle, Washington, opening to allow vessels to go through. The small locks, measuring 30 feet x 150 feet (8.5 meters x 45.7 meters), move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.
A major infrastructure upgrade to the nation’s busiest locks will help keep them operating into the next century.
“We’ll be installing a new miter gate and filling valve actuation system to maintain the Locks’ infrastructure,” said Locks Operations Project Manager Jonathan Hofstra. “We’re also planning on upgrading and replacing current controls systems to a modern controls operating system."
The $16 million project cost, of which $10.5 million comes from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding that President Joseph R. Biden signed into law in November 2021, will modernize aged electrical and mechanical components at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the contract August 2023.
The Chittenden Locks has served the Pacific Northwest and the U.S. for 106 years. Many systems and components have been upgraded, but many more need upgrading to continue operating.
The small lock machinery system operates the miter gates and valves that control the filling and emptying of the Canal’s small lock chamber. The new machinery will use compact hydraulic miter gate and valve operating machinery.
Current machinery and controls are deteriorated and need replacing before failure leads to small lock closure. The upgrades will reduce the risk of gate operating equipment failure that would severely impact the Army Corps’ navigation mission.
The official schedule has not been confirmed but Hofstra emphasized that all work will be completed in a single small lock dewatering event, and not affect normal navigational operations.
A Tribal-owned company, T1-RJS Joint Venture LLC of North Bend, Oregon, earned the contract award.
For more information on USACE projects in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law work plan, click here.
For current information about activities at the Locks, check our public website and follow us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
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