The complex was built from 1927 to 1933 in conjunction with the construction of the Illinois Waterway, which allowed for barge travel between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

The lock and dam are also used to regulate water levels on the river between Lockport and Joliet.

[1] In the 2020s the dam is the focal point of one of the largest projects ever undertaken to curb the spread of an invasive species.

[3]: 22  The hope of the BRIP (Brandon Road Interbasin Project) is to keep Asian carp from establishing a population in the Great Lakes.

This article about a property in Will County, Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.