Posted on July 12, 2021
The Pittsburgh Engineer District has awarded Richard Goettle Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, the first construction contract for the $1.8 billion Upper Ohio Navigation project.
The $4.7 million contract awarded Goettle is for construction of a secant pile wall designed for ground retention and stabilization of the existing Montgomery Dam prior to building a new lock chamber at the facility. Construction is expected to start fall 2021.
“We are excited for this opportunity to provide much-needed improvements to our infrastructure. We are committed to maintaining reliable inland navigation to this region and our nation.” said Col. Andrew Short, commander, Pittsburgh District.
The Upper Ohio Navigation project’s entire scope includes three locks and dams on the Ohio River: Emsworth located at Mile 6.2, Dashields at Mile 13.3, and Montgomery at Mile 31.7. At each facility, the old 56-foot wide by 360-foot long auxiliary lock chambers will be replaced with new 110-foot wide by 600-foot long lock chambers. The project’s purpose is to provide safe, reliable, and efficient navigation through some of the Corps of Engineers’ smallest and oldest locks in the region.
Approximately 15 million tons of commodities pass through the Upper Ohio River system annually. The project will provide an estimated $85 million in annual net benefits to the Nation and is expected to support 28,800 jobs over the construction period and 5,300 jobs annually during operation and maintenance of the facilities afterward.
