As tows await, traffic resumes on Ohio River

NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) -- An auxiliary lock chamber on the Ohio River was reopened Sunday, allowing river traffic to resume in both directions, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.
The Hannibal Locks and Dam, near New Martinsville about 115 miles southeast of Columbus, had been closed to river traffic since late Tuesday when a load-bearing seal on a lock gate failed, putting the primary lock chamber out of service. The auxiliary lock chamber was already out of service as a result of scheduled maintenance.
The corps accelerated maintenance on the auxiliary lock and finished the job Sunday, about four days ahead of schedule. It will now focus on the problem that closed the main lock, which should reopen Nov. 15, the corps said in a statement.
When the lock reopened about 2:15 p.m. Sunday, there were 40 tows with more than 500 barges awaiting passage.
More than 52 million tons of cargo, primarily coal, are shipped through the Hannibal locks every year.