Cline Jones, left, presented an award to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann for his involvement in seeking to secure funds for the Chickamauga Lock project
photo by John Shackleford
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann said Wednesday he is hopeful that some funds will soon come available for the Chickamauga Lock and that work can resume on the long-stalled project.
He said a reform of the Inland Waterway Trust Fund freed up more money for projects like the local lock, and he said officials acknowledged at a recent hearing that as much as $54 million may be available for lock projects.
He said he also learned that $6 million is immediately available if federal officials agree to release them, and he said half or all of that could go to the Chickamauga Lock project.
Rep. Fleischmann said if that happens, then work could resume later this year or next year.
However, he acknowledged that it may take another $500 million to $600 million to finish the new lock. He said earlier work got it about one-third completed.
He said, "Every day we're not at it, the cost goes up."
Cline Jones, president of the Tennessee River Valley Association, also urged faster action on release of money for the locks.
He said contracts should be put in place and ready to go in case money is freed up from the huge Olmsted project or another one higher on the list than Chickamauga.
Mr. Jones said the National Waterways Council was involved with other private groups and the federal government is setting the priority list for lock project funding. Chickamauga is fourth on that list.
He and Rep. Fleischmann decried the fact that some federal officials seem to want to revisit the priority list and perhaps rearrange it.