Social Reel: A Farewell to Lock 3 (video)
View SourceThe lockmaster and three local residents say goodbye to Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, by plunging the handle of a blasting machine.
After being in continuous operation since 1907, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District used explosives to breach the fixed-crest dam, which is the first process in demolishing the dam and eventually the lock walls.
Removing the dam will create a continuous pool of riverway stretching 30 miles from Charleroi to Braddock, Pennsylvania, improving navigation on the Lower Monongahela River.
The demolition is part of the Lower Monongahela River Project. Once complete, the project is expected to bring an economic benefit of $200 million annually, including cost-time savings in transporting commodities through the region using inland navigation and reduced maintenance costs.
