Historic Inland Waterway Infrastructure Funding for Pittsburgh Region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2022 – The Port of Pittsburgh Commission (PPC) announces an unprecedented $857.71 million has been allocated to fully fund the Montgomery Locks located along the Ohio River, in Monaca, PA, Beaver County. These funds will be used for new start construction. Built in 1936, Montgomery Locks & Dam averages about 300 commercial lockages every month, plus another 150 lockages of pleasure craft during the busy summer months.

“This funding announcement is a big win for southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Mary Ann Bucci, Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission. “The Port of Pittsburgh is a driver of jobs and economic prosperity in the region, and by completing the much-needed construction on the Montgomery Locks and Dam, we will be able to safely bring goods in and out of Pittsburgh.”

This announcement is the result of today’s release of the USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Work Plan, which will provide $17 billion in funding for the USACE’s civil works projects. President Biden signed the IIJA into law in November 2021, and the plan was submitted to Congress on Friday, January 14, and was publicly released today. The Montgomery Locks & Dam was the region’s only project to receive the new construction designation in the FY2021 work plan.

The Montgomery Locks & Dam project funding would not have been possible without support from US Senator Robert Casey and US Representative Conor Lamb. “This is fantastic news for the region and our inland waterways,” said Matt Smith, President, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. “Southwestern Pennsylvania’s rivers provide the region’s businesses a competitive advantage and access to a global marketplace. We are grateful for our partnership with the Port of Pittsburgh Commission and key infrastructure stakeholders across the region in advocating for these necessary improvements critical to our region’s success. We look forward to continuing our efforts and realizing the reconstruction of the Upper Ohio Navigation System Project at the Montgomery, Emsworth and Dashields locks & dams.”

Bucci added, “Senator Casey and Congressman Lamb brought US Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Pittsburgh last Spring and we had the opportunity to show him the importance of our inland waterway system and the need for investment for our aging lock and dam infrastructure. Not only are our waterways critical to the movement of freight in the region, but also the quality of life throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.”

For more information regarding the Montgomery Locks & Dam, or the Port of Pittsburgh District, contact Mary Ann Bucci, Executive Director, Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

Contact: Mary Ann Bucci
Phone: (412) 398-7188
Email: mary-ann@portpitt.com