ALTON — The Melvin Price Lock and Dam in Alton is expected to be fully open by the end of Monday, July 28, 2025, according to lock officials.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The move comes after some torrential rains around the Grafton and Calhoun areas and Alton region this past weekend, in anticipation of rising Mississippi River water levels.
Lock and Dam officials reported that the lock has opened 150 feet over the past day and a half and is preparing to reach an open river status for the first time in a year and a half on Monday. This marks a significant change for the river, which has been constrained by the lock for an extended period.
“We are most likely to have it completely open by the end of the day,” a lock official said. “All this depends on Mother Nature. We are hoping that if it goes completely open, it will settle, and river levels will drop back down.”
The reopening is anticipated to improve river conditions and navigation along this stretch of the Mississippi River.
