In 1969, the US Army Corps of Engineers designed and fabricated a floating caisson for use as a dewatering structure at various locks on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. The floating caisson is used to dewater locks in order to perform maintenance, inspection, and repairs. Using one caisson and existing lock miter gates, either end of the lock can be dewatered. In order to inspect both miter gates at one time, a second closure structure is required at the other end.

Tetra Tech INCA provided final plans and specifications for the fabrication and construction of a second floating caisson at Kentucky Lock. The design included an increase of an additional 18-inch extension in height in the vertical position, provisions for lock dewatering pipes on the caisson, provisions for caisson installation at any Tennessee or Cumberland River lock without modification to the lock structures, and analyses for flotation and rotation.

The new caisson was designed so it can be installed at any Tennessee or Cumberland River Lock, where the existing caisson is used, without any modifications to the lock structures.