The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District along with several dignitaries held a groundbreaking ceremony, May 18, 2023, in Winfield, Missouri to welcome the new construction of a new 1,200 ft. lock at Lock and Dam 25 that will allow for two-way traffic.

As millions of Americans plan visits to our nation’s lakes and rivers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reminds visitors of the importance of practicing safe, sensible, and thoughtful activities in, on, and around open water. Tragically, people lose their lives while visiting USACE-managed lands and waters every year. Most of the tragedies are water related. The public’s help is needed to reduce the number of fatalities at the more than 2,800 USACE-managed recreation areas nationwide. USACE personnel stress the importance of water safety year-round when talking with visitors, but especially during the summer season because that is when most public recreation fatalities occur.

Lock and Dam 25 is located in Calhoun County, Illinois, and Lincoln County, Missouri, at approximately Mile 241.4 on the Upper Mississippi River above the mouth of the Ohio River near Winfield, Missouri. Proposed project features include construction of new 1200-foot, pile founded, lock located in the auxiliary miter gate bay, and construction of an upstream, ported guard wall totaling 1200 feet, and a 650-foot downstream approach wall. The existing 600-foot lock remains in place and will become auxiliary lock chamber to be used primarily by recreation traffic. The project also includes associated channel work, relocations and site-specific environmental mitigation. The majority of the Upper Mississippi River locks were designed and constructed in the 1930’s and the lock chambers are 600-ft. long. The 600-ft. lock chamber cause significant average delays to navigation because of double lockages required for tows larger than 600-ft.The new1200-foot lock will significantly reduce delays and increase safety. The combination of ecosystem and navigation in a single U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program required many years of coordination with both the navigation and ecosystem partners and it will alter the future of the Upper Mississippi River System to ensure it remains the vital transportation and ecosystem corridor for the next 100 plus years.

Engineers Far From Ordinary: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in St. Louis takes a look at the story of the St. Louis District beginning with the rich and legendary history of the river as well as the modern history of the District’s innovations in response to the challenges of simultaneously maintaining and regulating navigation, protecting again flooding, and protecting the environment.

America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Interagency Passes are available for purchase at St. Louis District Lake Offices and Visitor Centers.