When was wheeler dam built

Since the birth of the space program, parts of rockets — too large to move over roads — are shipped by barge from Redstone. That is until the Tennessee Valley Authority stepped in to help save the moon mission and win the space race. Within seconds, tons of concrete and steel that formed the lock for 26 years now blocked the only way through the dam, and miles of the Tennessee River was instantly cut off from barge traffic. Overnight, shipping came to a halt. Nothing could get through; no farm goods, no manufactured products and no ton rockets.

Just eight days before the lock failed, President Kennedy had made a bold promise to the American people. At Redstone Arsenal, it was all hands on deck.

Repairing the lock was not an option. That would take up to a year, so they teamed up with the TVA to come up with a plan to portage the rocket. Two massive custom-built concrete structures were built. The upstream dock was built in a small cove. Agriculture Adventure Trail. Barbecue Trail. Craft Beer. Motorcycle Trail. Bankhead National Forest. Covered Bridges. Lookout Mountain Parkway. The Dam Tour. Sand Mountain. Natchez Trace. Bass Trail. Train Depots Trail. Trail Videos.

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