Three locks along the Illinois River reopened to navigation this week after a series of extended consolidated closures at Starved Rock, Marseilles and Dresden Island.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, announced Thursday construction is complete on the lock and dam systems. Five locks on the Illinois Waterway were closed in early July to perform critical maintenance. Peoria Lock was the first to reopen on Sept. 28, followed by LaGrange Lock on Oct. 13.

The Illinois Waterway, which provides a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, includes eight lock and dam sites.

The Army Corps of Engineers reported the locks were long overdue for significant repairs. In order to facilitate repairs, the Rock Island District developed a consolidated repair schedule, which included a short closure to locks in 2019 followed by extended closures through summer and fall that ended Thursday. The closures took place simultaneously to reduce impact to commercial navigation as much as possible.

For information, call the Rock Island District at 309-794-5729.