Restoration on Lock 11

ock 11, the northern-most of the four locks located in New Hope, is being restored to working order. Construction began in February, and is scheduled to be complete in November. The chamber walls and floor are being repaired, the drop gate and mitre gates rebuilt, a reproduction wicket shanty constructed, and numerous site improvements made.

Following is a photo journal of the project. Thanks to photographer John Sikora for use of his photos. Click on the small images and a larger one will pop up. Hit the “Back” button in your browser’s menu bar to return to this page.

Phase 1 (February – March 2004

Dredging the canal prism north of Lock 11 to allow sufficient water flow.

Phase 2 (February – March)

Parts of the old lock are exposed.

Phase 3 (April)

A new waste gate is installed at the Virginia Forrest Recreation Area, north of Centre Bridge, to better control the volume of water flowing toward the Lock 11 construction site.

Phase 4 (April – May)

The drop gate wicket chamber is reconstructed.

Phase 5 (April)

A concrete cap is poured on the wall north of the lock.

Phase 6 (April, May, June)

The painstaking process of repairing the lock chamber walls.

Phase 7 (June)

The canal is dredged and lined, south of the Lock.

Phase 8 (June)

The stone wall at the southwest end of the Lock is rebuilt.

Lock 11 Final Report
It’s official: Lock 11 was dedicated on June 17, 2006. Gathred next to the restored structure, state, county and local officials joined members of the Friends and the Historic Delaware Canal Improvement Corporation in celebrating the project’s completion. It was a morning of thank-yous, congratulations and promises that the future of the Delaware Canal remains bright.
 
Lock 11 is the first lock in operation on the Delaware Canal in more than fifty years. It had been hoped that a boat could be lowered and raised in the lock during the dedication ceremony, but damage from the April 2006 flood precluded such a demonstration. The water that now fills the Centre Bridge-to-New Hope section of the Canal is being pumped in from the River, so that the mule-drawn canal boat ride can operate. The flow volume is not sufficient to operate the lock, and the expense of filling the Canal after the locking process is prohibitive.
 
The April flood did provide an opportunity, however: The high water level in the Canal at the time allowed the Park staff to try to operate the drop gate and miter gates. Everyone gained respect for the locktenders of old. Making a lock work is no easy task, especially a new lock with unsaturated gates and big gaps through which water can escape.
 
It was also discovered that it’s a precise job. If the water levels on either side of the drop gate are more than a quarter-inch to a half-inch off, the gate will not drop. Eleven men pulling cannot do the trick. Unfortunately, the abundant water disappeared before it could be operated successfully. Since April, the drop gate has been set in position to serve as a dam, holding water in the New Hope section.
 
Lock 11 serves as an endorsement of the future of the Canal. As the canal is repaired and holds more water, Lock 11 will eventually be used, and will become the attraction it now promises to be.