The large chamber of the Ballard Locks has closed unexpectedly due to electrical issues.
The large chamber was limited to half lockages on Saturday morning, due to possible debris stuck under one of the miter gates, according to Bill Dowell from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, the current electrical issues, which started on Sunday, are apparently unrelated.
“Maintenance is working to resolve both issues and we hope to have it back up and running in a few days,” Operations Project Manager Jon Hofstra said in a statement about the closure.
Meanwhile, the small chamber remains open to vessels up to 28-feet-wide and 123-feet-long.
There are two scheduled closures coming up for both locks: the small chamber will be closed Jan. 6 – 24 for annual maintenance, and the large chamber will be closed Feb. 12 to April 5 for the second extended closure for the Stoney Gate Valve replacement project.