Infrastructure Project In Focus: Montgomery Lock
Earlier this week Marine News was afforded – thanks to a ‘press tour’ organized by the Waterways Council – a behind the scenes look at the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) effort to build new the Montgomery Locks, one part of a bigger picture project on the Upper Ohio River outside of Pittsburgh to ensure that three key lock and dam critical infrastructure facilities remain viable to facilitate critical tow and barge traffic. The facilities in focus include:
- Emsworth (placed in service 1922)
- Dashields (placed in service 1929), and
- Montgomery (placed in service 1936)
Cumulatively, these three lock facilities facilitate more than 16 million tons of bulk cargo annually – the majority of which (9 million tons) being coal which is vital to the energy and industrial needs feeding the region and country.
Recapitalization includes replacement of the 56-ft. wide by 360-ft. long auxiliary lock chambers with new 110-ft. by 600-ft. lock chambers at Emsworth, Dashields, and Montgomery Locks and Dams; a project that is projected to return more than $150 million of average annual benefits to the region and the nation.
As is unfortunately all too common along the entire U.S. inland waterway system, locks and dams are aging facilities operating well past their projected service life, and poor structural conditions impact the ability for commerce to flow seamlessly. While much attention (and government budget) is focused on road and rail infrastructure upgrades, the marine inland marine industry and its importance to the overall U.S. economy is too often an afterthought.
In coming editions of Marine News, look for expanded focus on these three projects specifically, in addition to a overall look at the U.S. inland lock and dam infrastructure with insights on the key projects for the coming decade; as well as USACE efforts to leverage latest technologies to help facilitate a more efficient design, demolition and reconstruction process.
Click here to read a related story regarding the construction of the Chickamauga Lock
Image courtesy Marine News | www.MarineLink.com
