Fair Landing, Arkansas, Nov. 14, 2014 – Northbound and southbound vessels will have unrestricted movement through the narrowest portion of the river at Fair Landing around the clock when work is completed Monday, 17 November. Work will then move to a wider section of the river at Fair Landing and resume the next day. The new work site will not cause daytime restrictions to the normal one-way traffic flow through the narrow Fair Landing location. The mat sinking unit will not work this weekend (Nov. 15-16).
Vessel restrictions were imposed during daylight hours along a narrow reach of the river at Fair Landing to allow for crucial repairs to the river banks damaged during the 2011 flood. The bank protection work must be done when river levels permit (typically between August and December), as it can’t be performed during high river stages, which typically occur during the rest of the year.
Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr stated, “Channel stabilization and protection of the river banks are critical not only to our flood risk management mission, but also to our navigation mission – the revetment process ensures alignment of the navigation channel. The large bank scours caused during the 2011 flood in the Fair Landing area could threaten navigation channel stability and the mainline levee system during a high water event.”
Current revetment work and future repairs will make the channel wider and safer along this section of the river. Roughly 139 tows, pushing approximately 2,500 barges, have traveled past Fair Landing since work began on November 7.
Release no. 14-018