T.J. O'Brien Lock and Dam

T. J. OBrien Lock and Dam
LocationHegewisch, Chicago
PurposeFlood control, navigation
Construction began1957
Opening date1960
Construction cost$6,954,700
Built byFitz Simmons & Connell Dredge & Dock Company
Designed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
Operator(s) United States Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District
Dam and spillways
Type of dam4 sluice gates
ImpoundsCalumet River to Lake Michigan harbor
Length297 feet (91 m)
Reservoir
Normal elevation577 feet (176 m) above sea level

Thomas J. O'Brien Lock & Dam is a stop lock in the Hegewisch neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago at the confluence of the Grand Calumet River and Little Calumet River, which form the Calumet River. It is a component of the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), which is, itself, a part of the Illinois Waterway, which links the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.

The Lock & Dam is named for Thomas J. O’Brien, who was a U.S. Representative for the 6th District of Illinois from 1933 to 1938 and again from 1943 to 1964.[1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference HAER was invoked but never defined (see the help page).