Design and Construction Report staff writer
A Hillsborough, North Carolina-based contractor has been awarded a $320 million federal contract for major dam safety work in Kentucky, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced.
The Army Corps’ Louisville District awarded the base contract Dec. 18 to Thalle-Bauer LLC for Phase 2 of the Rough River Dam Safety Modification Project. The contract includes options that could bring the total value to about $655 million by completion.
Phase 2 work will include construction of new outlet works and a full-depth cutoff wall across the dam, a measure intended to provide permanent risk reduction for downstream communities.
“The execution of the Rough River Dam Safety project is a key example of the administration’s efforts to refocus the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its core mission,” said Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. He said the project will help safeguard downstream communities while supporting economic growth.
Phase 2 construction will involve building a new outlet works structure on the left abutment of the dam, including a new control tower, stilling basin and tunnel connecting the two features. Once the new outlet works are operational, the existing control tower will be abandoned.
Crews will then construct a cutoff wall across the dam crest, with depths ranging from about 75 feet to 180 feet. The final stage of the work will relocate Kentucky State Highway 79 back to the top of the dam.
Col. L. Reyn Mann, commander of the Army Corps’ Louisville District, said the work will significantly reduce long-term risk.
“The work planned in Phase 2 will help lower the dam’s risk and ensure it can continue to provide flood risk reduction benefits and serve the local community for years to come,” Mann said.
The dam safety modification project stems from a 2012 engineering report that identified unacceptable risk due to the dam’s foundation being built on karst geology. The report recommended major rehabilitation to improve structural integrity.
Phase 1 of the project, which included relocating the crest road and conducting exploratory drilling and grouting along the dam’s centerline, was completed in May 2017. Additional interim risk reduction measures were implemented in 2023 to enhance safety until Phase 2 construction begins.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026, with Phase 2 anticipated to take six to seven years to complete. The Army Corps plans to hold a public meeting in early 2026 once the construction schedule is further defined.
