Starting today (Tuesday, Nov. 6) at 9 a.m., the large lock at the Ballard Locks will close to all marine traffic. The lock will be closed until 5 p.m. on Nov. 20 for annual maintenance. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the small lock will be available for vessels less than 115 feet in length and 26 feet in width throughout the large lock maintenance period.
The Army Corps says that there will also be structural upgrades on the Ballard railroad bridge that passes over the Lake Washington Ship Canal just west of the Locks. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) will be doing the upgrades, and the Army Corps says high mast vessels able to use the small lock will not be able to pass the bridge during the BNSF closure from 7 a.m. Nov. 7 to 5 p.m. Nov. 18.
