Photo By Michel Sauret | The official party returns the ribbon-cutting scissors after a ceremony at the John P....... read more read more
PITTSBURGH – With the snip of scissors and the blow of a towboat’s horn, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District celebrated the opening and renaming of the most modern lock on the Monongahela River after two decades of construction near Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Aug. 28.
“Today, we’re not merely renaming a facility – we’re celebrating the culmination of decades of hard work by countless individuals,” said Pittsburgh District Commander Col. Nicholas Melin during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They braved long hours, late nights, harsh winters, and sweltering summers to complete the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' newest and most advanced lock chamber—a monumental engineering achievement.”
USACE built the facility in 1932, initially known as Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4. It underwent several upgrades over the decades, Congress recently renamed the facility the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam in honor of the late congressman who served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.
“This project’s significance extends far beyond its physical construction,” Melin said. “It’s about securing the future of the Monongahela River as a key inland navigation route.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought 30 years of planning and 20 years of construction to a close, resulting in a new chamber measuring 720 feet long by 84 feet wide. The chamber can hold more than 20 million gallons of water, equivalent to more than 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The new lock chamber expands the facility’s capacity to support commercial navigation throughout the region and the nation. The construction work included building a new control tower, incorporating cameras and various control functions, and modernizing the locking process from a single operations center.
Throughout construction, the navigation facility never had an unscheduled closure to industry.
“We were available 24/7, 365 for the entirety of this project, which is not an easy undertaking when you think about what a big maintenance challenge that presents to keep a facility of this age operating,” said Alan Nogy, the chief of the locks and dam branch for the district.
During 20 years of construction, the new lock and tower required 14 separate contracts, 250,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 13 million pounds of reinforced steel for rebar. It also deepened the navigation channel by dredging 1.1 million cubic yards of soil from the riverway.
“The new lock chamber is designed to meet the demands of contemporary commerce, ensuring this waterway remains an economic engine for years to come,” Melin said.
The dedication ceremony also honored Murtha, who earned the Bronze Star with Combat “V” device, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry during combat. After his military service, Murtha began his political career and eventually was elected to represent the 12th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
“As we dedicate this facility to Congressman John P. Murtha, we honor a leader whose life was devoted to public service and this region,” Melin said. “His relentless advocacy was crucial in securing the resources and support needed for projects like this. This state-of-the-art infrastructure embodies Murtha's vision for a stronger, more resilient western Pennsylvania.”
The congressman has had other government, medical, and educational facilities named after him, including a U.S. Navy ship that measures 684 feet long.
“That’s 36 feet shorter than our new chamber,” Melin joked. “Regrettably, we couldn’t arrange for the Navy to bring their ship here for a ceremonial lock-through.”
Murtha played a vital role in the economic stability of the 12th Congressional District. Following the 1977 flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he worked to combat high unemployment rates by diversifying industries within the community after the steel industry left the region.
“His impact stretches across the globe, but his heart was here, and he was always asking, ‘What more can I do to help?’” said John Murtha Jr., the late congressman’s son. “My dad knew the three rivers were integral to western Pennsylvania’s economy, and he worked tirelessly to support and fund navigation improvements for the region. His years of effort and support opened countless opportunities for the Monongahela River.”
The district began construction on the new lock chamber in 2004 and completed it earlier this year as part of the multi-billion-dollar Lower Monongahela River Construction Project. The project involves work at two other navigation facilities along a stretch of river that experiences the largest volume of commercial traffic throughout the entire Monongahela River navigation system.
“In western Pennsylvania, we understand the importance of infrastructure,” said Austin Davis, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, who attended the ceremony as a guest speaker.
“Our steel mills helped build our country … however many folks don’t know the vital role our rivers provide to the nation’s economy,” Davis said.
The Pittsburgh District operates 23 locks and dams on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers.
“That network of locks and dams saves shippers and consumers $4 billion – that’s four billion with a B – on transportation costs compared to road and rails,” Davis said.
The Murtha Locks and Dam construction project increased the locking capacity from six standard barges to nine, or six jumbo barges, in one pass. Barges are optimal for moving large amounts of commodities such as petroleum, grain, coal, or other aggregate on the river. One barge has the same capacity as 70 semi-trucks on the road or 14 rail cars. Transporting commodities on the waterways is four times less expensive than by trucks and 33 percent cheaper than rail.
The project will return more than $200 million in estimated annual benefits to the region and nation by saving maintenance and operations costs and transportation time.
“The new lock will ensure reliable navigation on the lower Monongahela River for the next century,” Melin said. “It incorporates innovative technology that paves the way for the potential remote operation of the lock in the future.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2024 07:56 |
| Story ID: | 479730 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | MONESSEN, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Decades in the making: Pittsburgh District celebrates completion of newest lock chamber on Monongahela River, by Michel Sauret, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
