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Erie Canal lock to get $6 million rehab here
Erie Canal lock to get $6 million rehab here
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New York State Canal Corp. has approved a nearly $6 million contract to rehabilitate the century-old East Guard Lock at the intersection of the Erie Canal and Genesee River in Rochester.
“The East Guard Lock is a well-known landmark on the Erie Canal in Rochester and ensuring its upkeep is a top priority,” Canal Corp. Director Brian Stratton said in a statement. “The lock has reliably served to control water levels in the area for a century, and this project will ensure it will continue to do so for another 100 years, allowing the canal to remain a center of recreation and tourism in the area.”
The east and west guard locks originally were built to allow for navigation across the Genesee River during the navigation season in a wide range of elevations without affecting water levels in the canal to the west and east of the river. The West Guard Lock already has been modified to have a single operating drop gate.
Officials said the East Guard Lock continues to perform a vital function on the current canal system, allowing for the de-watering of the Erie Canal in the fall and winter and protecting the canal from water-level fluctuations on the river year-round.
The construction will be performed by Cold Spring Construction of Akron, Erie County, and is scheduled for completion in November 2019.
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