Posted on January 26, 2021
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted a $22 million Construction New Start award to the Upper Ohio Navigation Project to finish the pre-construction, engineering and design phases of the project and to kickstart its construction. The $1.8 billion endeavor, set to take seven years to complete, will upgrade a series of locks along the Ohio River in Allegheny and Beaver counties, among other infrastructure projects.
Once completed, the Upper Ohio Navigation Project will restore the Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery locks which are all more than 70 years old and pose a risk of failure according to U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th District. Should they fail, the entire Port of Pittsburgh would effectively have to close, Lamb said in a release announcing the funding.
“The potential shutdown of our inland waterways system because of a failure of our aging system of locks and dams is very real and would be catastrophic,” Lamb said. “It is critical that we invest in infrastructure projects to protect our economy and create good jobs. This award is an important first step, and I will continue to work in Washington to ensure that the funding is in place to complete this project.”
Executive Director for the Port of Pittsburgh Commission Mary Ann Bucci also offered praise for the grant award.
“The Ohio River is a major part of our nation’s inland waterways’ navigation system and all three locks in the Pittsburgh District on the Ohio are old and need to be rebuilt,” Bucci said. “To get this new start classification and initial funds dedicated for the Montgomery Lock near Beaver, PA is a big deal, especially to the more than 76,000 jobs in the region that are dependent on a reliable and efficient inland waterways system, and we are very appreciative to Congressman Lamb for lining up this project and making it happen.”
Source: bizjournals
