Congressmen Darin LaHood and Rodney Davis toured the Peoria Lock and Dam system Thursday. The duo was looking to gain some firsthand knowledge of the needs of the system ahead of the congressional negotiations to reauthorize the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA).
The 13th District Republican Congressman says the last authorization made significant progress identifying needs and he’s hopeful the next will mean further action, "and that means upgrading this facility.
Davis who’s from Taylorville serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that includes waterways. "I’m really proud to work with Congressman LaHood who represents this area. We’re going to work as team to ensure we start talking about moving projects forward instead of just designing them. We want to see some concrete poured,” Davis said.
The Peoria Lock and Dam is four miles downstream of Peoria and is part of the Rock Island District of the US Corps of Engineers. The lock is the standard 600-feet long by 110-feet wide. The maximum lift is 11 feet with an average lift of six feet. It takes ten minutes to fill or empty the lock chamber.
Congressman Darin LaHood says the water way is vital to the economy of Central Illinois and the health of the lock and dam system is essential. Last year nearly 23 million tons of cargo valued at $10 billion passed through the Peoria Lock and Dam.