close

Rolling on the river: New Locks and Dam 4 renamed to honor Murtha

By Paul Paterra 4 min read
1 / 4
Dignitaries prepare to cut the ribbon on the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam.
2 / 4
Col Nicholas Melin, left, commander of the U.S. Army Corps’ Pittsburgh District, introduces John Murtha Jr. Locks and Dam 4 was renamed the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam in honor of his father.
3 / 4
A Georgetown motor vessel, owned by Campbell Transportation Co., is the ceremonial first lock through the newly constructed chamber.
4 / 4
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis addresses those in attendance at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting.

Wednesday was a day of celebration on the Monongahela River, as a 20-year effort to build a modernized and larger lock chamber at Locks and Dam 4 has been completed.

Renamed in honor of the late Congressman John M. Murtha, the new lock is more than double its original size, and now measures 84 feet wide by 720 feet long.

The John P. Murtha Locks and Dam is part of the overall Lower Monongahela River Project, which was launched in 1994 to modernize locks 2, 3 and 4 in Braddock, Elizabeth and Charleroi at a total cost of about $1 billion.

Completion of the project is protected to boost the regional economy by $200 million annually.

Construction of the new river chamber at Locks and Dam 4 began in 2004. The facility upgrades incorporate innovative technology that paves the way for the potential remote operation of the lock in the future.

“Completing this project has been the No. 1 priority in the Corps of Engineers for quite some time,” said Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the U.S. Army Corps’ Pittsburgh District. “Now that it’s been delivered, we can really see the benefits to the community each and every year.

“We’ve gotten great feedback from industry, and they have been using the channel,” he said. “They’ve helped us to test it. They’re seeing a great increase in efficiency for how they operate. This updates this portion of the river for the next century.”

To mark the opening of the new chamber, a Georgetown motor vessel, owned by Campbell Transportation Co., passed by as the ceremonial first lock.

Among those on hand Wednesday were Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, a native of nearby McKeesport, who was happy to see the project completed.

“It’s not only the symbol of a huge economic infrastructure project, it’s going to have a huge impact on the economy, not just here in the region, but nationally,” Davis said. “It’s exciting that we’re investing in our infrastructure. Pennsylvania is still going to be a major player in the years to come in terms of moving products and goods. This infrastructure is part of what made Western Pennsylvania great, what built the steel industry. The fact that we’re still doing it today and preserving it for future generations is special.”

The facility’s name change to the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam was authorized with the Water Resources Development Act of 2022.

“To have it renamed after Congressman Murtha is extremely fitting,” Davis said. “He spent his entire career advocating for projects like this in our region. There is no more fitting way to honor his memory than to have this named after him.”

Melin said Murtha’s son, also named John, told him his father never took a vacation day during his congressional career.

“He was that committed to delivering to this region every day,” Melin said. “His relentless advocacy was instrumental in securing the resources to make projects such as this one in Charleroi, and many other ones, possible.”

Alan Nogy, operations project manager, locks and dams branch of the Pittsburgh District, was the lockmaster at Locks and Dams 4 during much of the project.

“To finally see that it’s all done and we’re locking boats and to have it renamed the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam, it’s a great day for me,” Nogy said. “This old chamber never had an unscheduled closure during this whole project, which is really what hampers industry. That speaks to the dedication of all of the people that have worked here from 2004 until today. We were able to keep this going until we got to this point where the new technology and modernization that we put into this new chamber can be fully utilized and be a benefit to the region.”

The navigation facility was constructed in 1931 and underwent significant rehabilitation in 1963.

The latest 20-year construction project 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, increasing the facility’s locking capacity from six standard barges to nine, or six jumbo barges, in one pass.

“The Monongahela River in Western Pennsylvania is incredibly important to the nation,” said Melin, who mentioned he is the ninth commander to oversee this project. “The federal government has recognized that by investing over $1 billion in recapitalizing these facilities. From steel production to the movement of critical commodities, this river is delivering for the nation and the federal government is delivering on its obligation to have quality infrastructure that can keep it open and running. For the people of this region, the benefits are going to keep rolling in.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today