MOBILE, Ala. – Due to a vessel accident at the Jamie Whitten Lock & Dam on Sunday, September 8, 2019, the lock has been closed to all traffic until further notice. The duration of the closure remains undetermined at this time, as hazard assessments are underway.
A merchant vessel loaded with two barges of crude oil was locking southbound through the Jamie Whitten Lock when the allision occurred, creating a hazardous spill inside the lock chamber. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality personnel are on site assessing the spillage and determining a course of action.
Please continue monitoring Mobile District navigation notices for the latest information concerning this closure, at https://go.usa.gov/xV5mv.
For further information please contact Justin Murphree or Roger Wilson Jr. at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Project Management Office at (662) 245-5500.
With an area of operation across Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and north Florida, and a vast military region that includes operations across Central and South America, the Mobile District is recognized across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its mission excellence in federal construction and engineering; civil works and military construction project management; navigation, lock and dam safety operations on lakes and waterways throughout the Southeast; and 650,000 acres of outdoor recreation sites enjoyed by more than 27 million visitors annually.
Visit us on our Website www.sam.usace.army.mil
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/USACEMobile
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/USACEMobile
# # #
Release no. 19-032