FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 18, 2006
CANAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF LOCK E-10 TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Lock had been devastated by record flooding caused by torrential rain in late June
Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation, announced today that Lock E-10 in Cranesville, Montgomery County, and the Erie Canal from Lock E-9 in Rotterdam Junction in Schenectady County to Lock E-11 in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, will reopen to boat traffic on Saturday, August 19, 2006, at 7:00 a.m. This announcement comes two weeks ahead of schedule, as the Canal Corporation originally expected not to open this section of the Erie Canal until Labor Day.
“The entire New York State Canal System is back open for business,” Mantello said. “We wouldn’t be standing here today, two weeks earlier than expected, if it wasn’t for the hard-working men and women of the Canal Corporation, as well as the diligence of the contractor, C.D. Perry and our consultant inspection firm, the URS Corporation. On behalf of Canal communities across the state, and Canal businesses who have suffered irreparable harm during the closure, I thank them for a job well done.”
Much of the New York State Canal System experienced severe flooding during the end of June 2006, forcing the closure of 297 miles of the 524-mile waterway. Lock E-10, the site of an ongoing dam rehabilitation project, was one of seven locks that suffered a significant impact from the flooding. Damaged sections of the upstream cofferdam had to be removed. In order to do this, approximately 15,000 cubic yards of stone was brought in to build a temporary access road more than halfway across the canal.
Upon removal of the temporary road, the stone used to build the road was then used to replace some of the material on land that was eroded away by the flood waters. In addition, lock walls had to be resurfaced, sidewalks were replaced and utilities had to be restored. The dam uprights and gates were scattered during the flood and also needed to be recovered, repaired and then re-installed. In all, a tremendous amount of work was accomplished in a very short period of time.
Even with all of the accomplishments, there is still work to be done on the grounds surrounding the locks. The lock house at Lock E-10 shifted from its foundation during the flooding and needs to be demolished and eventually replaced. In the interim, a temporary office trailer will be placed on the grounds. Also, Canal Corporation employees will work to restore the beauty of the grounds during the next year.
The recovery operation at Lock E-10 and other Canal sites in the Mohawk Valley was closely coordinated with the NYS Thruway Authority, State Emergency Management Office, NYS Department of Transportation, and other state and federal agencies.
"We appreciate the successful collaboration with the various stakeholders which made this reopening possible," Mantello said. "This was a true team effort, resulting in a seamless process and an early opening. Canal communities and businesses will once again be able to reap the full economic benefits of the entire historic waterway."
The reopening of Lock E-10 will allow for recreational vessels to resume traveling along the waterway, and for Canal communities such as Amsterdam (near Lock E-10) to once again realize the full potential tourism benefits of the New York State Canal System. It will also allow for a 180’ cruise ship to make its scheduled run from the Great Lakes to Rhode Island, a tour boat to give three-day cruises through the Mohawk Valley, a hire-boat fleet owner to return two boats to their home base in Waterford, a tug and barge company to once again utilize its equipment which had been stranded in Sylvan Beach, and tugboats from central and western New York to travel to the Waterford Tugboat Roundup in September.
The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture. For more information on vacation opportunities along the Canal System, visit www.canals.state.ny.us or call 1-800-4CANAL4.