The Cross-Florida Barge Canal was envisioned in the 1960s as a navigable shortcut between the Atlantic and the Gulf, but construction halted in 1971 with less than a third of the route complete. The locks that remain are now operated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, managing water levels and carrying recreational traffic through one of the state’s most ecologically sensitive corridors.
To return an aging lock to full function, our firm delivered a detailed condition survey and load rating of the existing Corps Hydraulic Steel Structures, then designed a new 40-foot by 164-foot chamber sized to fit within the original walls. The work introduced a roller compacted concrete monolith and rock anchors to stabilize the legacy structure, along with a flood-control spillway and a lock layout optimized for the constrained footprint.
A second engagement focused on long-term stewardship. Our team designed manatee protection gratings at the filling and emptying ports, prepared dewatering specifications and bid documents, and completed a full structural, mechanical, and electrical inspection of the dewatered chamber, including hazardous materials screening. The resulting rehabilitation priorities and opinion of probable cost gave the state a fundable roadmap for keeping the lock operational.