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Video by Michel Sauret

Clearing the way for navigation at Elizabeth

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

Aug. 15, 2024 | 1:14

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is prioritizing the opening of a 100-foot-wide navigation channel through the dam at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, by August 28.

The Pittsburgh District initially breached the dam using controlled explosives on July 10.

The district, while working with the contractor, will open a 100-foot-wide navigation channel through the existing dam, restoring a 9-foot draft to allow commercial navigation through the dam without using the lock. The district is committed to completing the 100-foot channel work by Aug. 28. The original projected timeline for opening the channel to navigation was December 2024.

“We are committed to opening the 100-foot-wide channel through the dam for commercial navigations as safely and expeditiously as possible.” said Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District.

After the dam is removed, the district will begin to demolish the lock walls next year. Demolishing the navigation facility at Elizabeth is part of a larger Lower Monongahela River Project, a multi-decade investment by the federal government that began in 1992 to revitalize one of the oldest inland navigation systems in the nation. The project has invested approximately $1.1 billion in the region through its construction.

The improvements made on the Monongahela River will save commercial tows at least one hour of transit between Braddock and Charleroi by providing a wider lock chamber at Charleroi and removing the locks and dam in Elizabeth. Once complete, the project is expected to provide a benefit of $200 million annually to the economy through cost time savings in transporting commodities through the region using inland navigation and reduced maintenance investments.

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers video by Michel Sauret)