Corps of Engineers awards contract for Montgomery Locks and Dam chamber replacement
View SourceMONACA ― The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District has awarded a $770 million contract to construct a new lock chamber in Beaver County.
According to the district, the contract was awarded to the Trumbull-Brayman Construction Corp. to begin the construction of a 110-foot by 600-foot lock chamber at the Montgomery Locks and Dam. The base contract has been awarded for the project, but additional funding may be provided as necessary work items occur along the project timeline.
"Completing the new lock chamber’s plan marks a significant achievement for the district’s team,” said Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. “This project is vital to ensuring safe and reliable navigation on the upper Ohio River. With the contract awarded, we are ready to advance this critical infrastructure for the region and the nation.”
The construction of a new lock chamber is a part of the Upper Ohio Navigation Project, which also includes new lock chambers at the Emsworth and Dashields locks in dams. Over $1 billion was awarded to the Corps of Engineers through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for these projects.
Work to deconstruct the axillary lock chamber is expected to begin next spring. After removing the auxiliary chamber, construction on the new primary lock chamber will begin. According to engineers, the chambers were constructed in the mid-1930s and have officially reached the end of their operational lifespans.
During the project, estimated to support 13,000 jobs during construction, river vessels will continue to use the existing lock chamber. Montgomery Locks is a critical part of supply chains that utilize river barges, and without these repairs, supply chains across the United States would be disrupted. These upgrades, in addition to preventing failures, will allow larger barges to travel through the locks
