The W.P Franklin Lock has reopened, but with a 26-foot width restriction until further notice.
The Lock was closed to traffic Wednesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers due to silt accumulating at the gates. Cleaning was necessary, forcing the closure.
The lock and dam are part of the Okeechobee Waterway and is located along the Caloosahatchee River, approximately 33 miles upstream of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Approximately 15,000 vessels lock through annually; of these about 97% are recreational vessels.
Lock facts
Cost of construction: Approximately $3.8 million
Lockage: Approximately 15,000 vessels lock through annually; of these about 97% are recreational vessels.
Commodities: Approximately 13,000 tons of manufactured goods, equipment, crude materials, food, and petroleum products locked annually.
Lock usage: Operating hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year, unless otherwise noted in the Coast Guard published, "Notice to Mariners." Lockage usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Lock chamber: 56 feet wide x 400 feet long x 14 feet
Lift of lock: Sea level to Caloosahatchee River water level. Usually 2 to 3 feet.
Channel width and depth: 90 feet wide x 8 feet deep
Lock chamber type: Concrete
Lock gate type: Welded structural steel sector gates, concrete gate bays
Discharge capacity: 28,900 cfs (cubic feet per second)
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