ST. JOHNSVILLE — Crews from the state Canal Corp. got Erie Canal Lock 16 operational following a breakdown Tuesday, and officials expect the lock system to work a bit slower until major repairs take place at the end of the season.

The Canal Corp. notified boaters the lock was closed just before 1 p.m. but it was reopened three hours later.

Canal Corp. spokeswoman Erin Agans said an axle controlling one of the lock’s two valves broke and will have to be replaced. Two valves allow 1.5 million gallons of water to flow into or out of the lock when boats enter or exit. Boaters can expect slower locking times with only one valve working, Canal Corp. Director Carmella Mantello said.

“All the gates are working so, no matter what, boats can go up and down. It will just be a little slower,” Mantello said.

Engineers reviewing the situation decided the lock, located about one mile west of the St. Johnsville Marina, will have to be shut down to repair, so the work may be postponed until after the season ends, Mantello said.

“Instead of shutting down for a day or two to fix it, we’ll probably wait until the end of the season,” Mantello said.

Two other Erie Canal locks in Montgomery County are undergoing major reconstruction; it was not immediately clear Tuesday how long it has been since Lock 16 was overhauled.

An overhaul of the gate system at Lock 10 in Cranesville was started in 2006 and is expected to take three years. To the west, Lock 14 in Canajoharie is undergoing an overhaul, also expected to take three years.

“Our folks really do a great job. This is aging infrastructure,” Mantello said.

St. Johnsville Marina Manager Bernie Brandow said the lock’s closure did not have any impact on business at the village marina. By the end of July, recreational boating on the canal system was down overall by about 22 percent, Mantello said.

On the Erie Canal, there were 52,887 recreational lockings by the end of July 2007 compared with 42,603 this year, according to Canal Corp. figures.

Commercial traffic — a segment of canal travel that grew as of the end of July — also was not affected by the Lock 16 breakdown, Mantello said.

The Canal Corp. gets prior notice when a massive shipment like a turbine or generator is headed through the locks, and that was not the case Tuesday, Mantello said.

There were seven commercial trips taken along the canal system last year, and a total of 25 through July 2008, Mantello said.

Mantello said gas prices and other economic factors are likely behind the increase in commercial use of the canal system.

“The canal is being looked at as a commercial shipping corridor … the canal is just looked at as the more efficient and inexpensive type of travel for the major types of cargo,” Mantello said.

Starting Thursday, the Canal Corp. will be operate the locks from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. They operate until 10 p.m. during the summer. The canal typically closes for the season in November.