Jefferson Reporter

On May 15, 2024, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, engaged in a discussion with Michael L. Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lt. General Scott A. Spellmon, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The conversation revolved around critical infrastructure projects led by the Army Corps that are crucial to Alabama's state.

Senator Britt initiated her line of questioning by inquiring about the ongoing repairs to the Demopolis Lock, situated after the confluence of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers. The lock is typically used for 12 daily transits carrying various essential cargoes such as feedstock, steel, coal, and crude oil. It handles nearly 12 million tons of cargo annually. However, it has been closed since January 16 due to a catastrophic failure which has had significant negative impacts on Alabama’s economy - particularly on customers who depend on inland waterway transit for export and import via Alabama’s deep-water seaport.

In response to Senator Britt's questions, Lt. General Spellmon confirmed that repairs are still on schedule for completion and that the lock is set to reopen to traffic by May 30, 2024.

Additionally, Senator Britt sought information about another project - the transformational Mobile Harbor Deepening Project. This initiative aims to deepen and widen the Mobile Harbor Channel to accommodate larger ships and facilitate two-way traffic. Lt. General Spellmon confirmed this project is also progressing as planned and is expected to be completed by March 30, 2025. He also mentioned that he anticipates awarding the last vendor contract next week.

A video recording of Senator Britt’s line of questioning can be found here while high-quality video footage for media use can be downloaded here.