In the News

A boat gliding along the Monongahela River isn't out of the ordinary. The inland waterway is vital for commercial industry across the country — an asset the region's economy hinges on — so it's frequently a host to vessels shipping various commodities.

But Wednesday morning, a Campbell Transportation Company Inc. vessel received special treatment from cheering and applauding onlookers when it became the first boat to use the John P. Murtha Locks & Dam — formerly known as Locks and Dam 4 — the culmination of a two-decade-long project conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"This project is for you, it's for the people of this region, and it gives us a lot of pride to deliver it today," Army Corps Col. Nicholas Melin said.

Col. Melin, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, and John Murtha Jr. — son of late U.S. Rep. John Murtha — were among the dozens of Army Corps personnel and community stakeholders gathered along Gibsonton Road in Charleroi to mark the grand opening of the modernized, improved structure, which was originally built in 1931.

Demolition of century-old Mon dam near Elizabeth accelerated, Army Corps says

Officials say the locks throughout the Monongahela River are designed to last 50 years, and all are more than a century old — some of the oldest in the United States.

According to Army Corps personnel, the facility in Charleroi now features a newly built control tower, and a lock chamber that measures 84 feet wide and 720 feet high — more than double the size of the original structure. It can lock between six and nine standard barges in one pass.

Barges are used to ship massive amounts of commodities such as petroleum, grain and coal. For example, one barge has the same capacity as 70 semi-trucks on the road or 14 rail cars.

The lock chamber can also hold upward of 20 million gallons of water, the equivalent of more than 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Col. Melin said the upgrades ensure the structure can "handle the demands of modern commerce" and secure the use of the Mon River as a transportation route and crucial inlet for the next century.

"This is now the Army Corps' newest and most modern lock chamber," he said. "It's a monumental engineering achievement."

Mr. Davis called the facility a testament to Western Pa. residents, who "understand the importance of infrastructure."

Cleanup crews pulled an estimated 60,000 pounds of vehicle remains and other debris from Pittsburgh’s three rivers Monday through Tuesday morning. The clean-up was organized by local nonprofit Three Rivers Waterkeeper and Illinois-based nonprofit Living Lands and Waters.

Hudson Warm

Roughly 60,000 pounds of vehicle remains dredged up from Pittsburgh's three rivers

"Our steel mills helped build our country, win World War II — and our bridges help us connect our communities," the McKeesport native said. "But many folks don't know the vital role that our rivers provide to the nation's economy."

The event also commemorated Murtha, for whom Congress renamed the facility. Murtha served as a representative for the commonwealth in Congress from 1977 until he died in 2010.

Murtha has been credited with revitalizing Western Pa. following the decline of the steel industry and combating unemployment rates through the diversification of industries in the region.

"When we invest in infrastructure, we are investing in our future, and nobody understood that better than Congressman John Murtha," Mr. Davis said. "He was the kind of public servant that I certainly strive to be."

More than a dozen other government and public facilities — including university buildings, medical centers and a U.S. Navy ship — are also named in his honor.

The new lock chamber and control tower are part of a $2.8 billion project that started in 1994 to modernize locks 2, 3, and 4 on the lower Monongahela River in the Braddock, Elizabeth and Charleroi areas. The removal creates 30 miles of uninterrupted river navigation, reducing transit times and allowing the navigation industry to take larger loads on the river.

The Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth are currently undergoing demolition as part of the Lower Monongahela River Project. Last week, the Army Corps said a 100-foot-wide navigation channel through the existing dam would open to maritime traffic by Wednesday, in response to mounting criticism from Pa. lawmakers. The dam removal and subsequent channel reopening were originally slated for the end of the year.

As of Wednesday morning, Col. Melin said the channel is still closed to maritime traffic.

"We're within days [of opening]," he said.

When completed, the Army Corps estimates the project will return more than $200 million annually in business opportunities for the region and the nation.

Pennsylvania's waterways, ports and related industries also support about 248,000 jobs, generating $19.3 billion in personal income and $4.3 billion in state and local tax revenue annually.

According to data from the Army Corps, the Pittsburgh District operates 23 locks and dams on the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, saving shippers and consumers approximately $4 billion in transportation costs compared to other methods such as by road or rail.