Corps of Engineers can start $22 million Ohio River project; funding steady for Allegheny River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work plan for fiscal year 2021 includes a $22 million jump on upper Ohio River lock projects, while funding remains stable for the Allegheny River locks operations.

The work plan details how the Corps divvies up its money to its districts across the country, said Col. Andrew “Coby” Short, commander of the Corps’ Pittsburgh District.

“The big news is the $22 million for the Upper Ohio navigation project, which allows us to ‘swing hammers’ with construction beginning to replace three locks, which are the oldest on the Ohio River,” Short said.

Reaching the construction phase soon is important, according to Short.

“These facilities have an increasing likelihood of unscheduled closures and potential failures that could shut down the river to navigation, causing significant economic impacts to the region,” he said.

The $2.6 billion project, with much of it in the design phase for years, replaces a lock each at the Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery locks and dams.

This year’s $22 million injection is about three times the budget the Corps received in the previous fiscal year, the Corps said. It will pay for construction to start this year at the Montgomery locks near Monaca. The money will also pay for more design work and acquisition of real estate.

The Allegheny River locks and dams did not receive additional funding in the work plan, said Lenna Hawkins, deputy district engineer for the Corps. Currently, all locks are functional and there were no service cuts this year, she said.

The nuclear waste dump in Parks Township is still slated to receive $26.5 million for planning and the start to site preparation to excavate and ship out radiological waste.