Gate keepers: Installing new miter gates at New Cumberland requires planning, time, extra measures

Pittsburgh District
Published Aug. 17, 2022
Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, talks on the radio while navigating a tow boat at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, talks on the radio while navigating a tow boat at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

A member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet ties onto a barge at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet prepares to install a C-channel steel beam at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

Timothy Stewart, a machinist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

Brad McGregor, a maintenance worker with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, clamps down a C-channel steel beam to repair a gate anchorage at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.

A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Brad McGregor, a maintenance worker with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, lines up a C-channel steel beam to repair a gate anchorage at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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The upstream and downstream miter gates are staged for install at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet has been working to replace the gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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The upstream and downstream miter gates are staged for install at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet has been working to replace the gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, concentrates on steering a tow boat in a tight space inside the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, navigates a tow boat at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Jake Chiappetta, a maintenance worker with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, helps raise a boat out of the water as part of a rescue drill at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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A crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs a boat rescue drill at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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A boat crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet rides past an opened miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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Timothy Stewart, a machinist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, drills holes into a C-channel steel beam at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
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A crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs a boat rescue drill at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

PITTSBURGH – In carpentry, the saying goes, “measure twice, cut once,” but on a construction project involving steel gates weighing as much as 11 school buses, there never seems to be an end to measuring.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
The upstream and downstream miter gates are staged for install at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet has been working to replace the gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0933

“It took us months and months of planning. We had a lot of meetings of just measuring, and measuring, and measuring to figure out how we can boom the gates down into place,” said Kevin McConnell, the maintenance mechanic supervisor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet.

The fleet is currently at the New Cumberland Locks and Dams on the Ohio River to replace four miter gates for the lock’s auxiliary chamber. Each gate weighs at least 165 tons, measuring 61 feet wide and 30 feet tall on the upstream and 40 feet tall on the downstream side. Each gate weighs as much as three Army tanks. The crew will have to counterbalance a crane with water to prevent it from toppling over during the lift.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, concentrates on steering a tow boat in a tight space inside the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0678

One wrong move could swing a gate out of control and destroy the fleet if it crashes upon it, McConnell said.

“It’s a lot more involved than just, ‘Hey, just pick it up and set it over there,’” McConnell said.

The lock’s auxiliary chamber has been out of commission since 2016, leaving only the main chamber to operate solo for six years.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0930

“It’s something that had to be dealt with,” McConnell said. “You can’t rely on just one chamber. Eventually, the main chamber will need maintenance, and if that main chamber goes down, it shuts the entire river down here.”

Power plants and other industries rely on locks to transport commodities along the river year-round. More than 184 million tons of cargo, including coal, grain, steel, chemical, petroleum and construction materials, travel on the Ohio River yearly.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0906

Six years ago, an inspection discovered the gates were severely worn and could not be repaired. Miter gates seal the lock chamber and control the water level inside it to act as an elevator. Except these 60-year-old gates were rotted and full of holes.

“They were so bad, you could put your hand through the thing,” said Chris Smidl, the onsite operations project engineer for the Pittsburgh District.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
A boat crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet rides past an opened miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0099

Normally, miter gates can last more than a century if inspected and maintained every 10 to 20 years, but due to a lack of funding in the region, the gates reached a point of irreparable damage.

“They were shot. We sent them to the scrap yard where they cut them up to recycle them. They may be your next refrigerator,” McConnell joked of the old hunks of steel.

Before installing the new gates, the fleet’s mechanics rehabilitated the anchorage assembly with new steel to hold the weight of the gates.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Timothy Stewart, a machinist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-1526

“It’s a careful process in which large steel parts have to be aligned within an eighth of an inch,” Smidl said.

If the anchorages are not perfectly aligned, the gates won’t swing open or seal shut properly.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet prepares to install a C-channel steel beam at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-1607

“To get one of these anchorages out, you’re saw-cutting the concrete. You’re busting the concrete. You’re burning rivets off. Knocking rivets out. We’re talking about rivets that have been there since the late 50s and early 60s. We’re taking all this old steel and fitting brand new steel, welding it together,” McConnell said.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
A mechanic crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet works to repair the anchorage system for a miter gate at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-1585

The fleet performs year-round repairs on the three major rivers around Pittsburgh. The crewmembers work 10-hour days, 12 days in a row, with only two days off. Yet, the shifts overlap, so there is never a pause in operation.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Jake Chiappetta, a maintenance worker with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, helps raise a boat out of the water as part of a rescue drill at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0233

“Everybody on the fleet has a trade, but they all seem to master multiple skills,” Smidl said.

Due to their nonstop work ethic and all the pre-planning involved, Smidl estimates the fleet can accomplish work in two months that would typically take a year to finish. The chamber has been out of commission for six years due to a lack of funds, not willpower.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Timothy Stewart, a machinist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, drills holes into a C-channel steel beam at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-1643

“That’s why they exist,” Smidl said of the Medium Capacity Fleet’s crew. “I’m always impressed with how quickly they can solve issues and come up with solutions. They have that steel-worker mentality. They’re just here to get the job done. No obstacle will get in their way.”

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
Dale Hohman, the captain of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet, talks on the radio while navigating a tow boat at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-1777

The fleet plans to hang and install the first two gates by then end of August 2022. For the next 12 months, the medium fleet has work scheduled at other locking facilities along the Ohio and Monongahela rivers. They will return to New Cumberland next year to drain the chamber and complete the final phase of construction. The corps expects the auxiliary chamber to be complete late of 2023.

Crewmembers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet perform repairs at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio.
Gate Keepers
A crew with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Medium Capacity Fleet performs a boat rescue drill at the New Cumberland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Moraine, Ohio, Aug. 10, 2022. The fleet has been working to replace the upstream and downstream miter gates of the auxiliary lock, with repairs projected to complete by 2024. The Medium Capacity Fleet is headquartered in Pittsburgh but operated by the Huntington District to perform maintenance and repair projects on the rivers for waterway navigation. The New Cumberland facility is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 220810-A-TI382-0169