Stimulus Act Has Good News For Mon Valley
Waterways Journal Editorial
31 August 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, better known
as the stimulus bill, contains some good news for the Monongahela
Valley, the Upper Monongahela River Association (UMRA) reports.
The most important part of the ARRA funding for the Pittsburgh Engineer
District is the money devoted to the Lower Mon Project. This project,
authorized in 1992 with a projected completion in 2004, involves the
three oldest navigation facilities, which also have the highest volume
of commercial traffic on the entire Monongahela River Navigation
System. This project is to receive $84 million in AARA funds.
So far the project has replaced the nearly 100-year-old fixed-crest dam
at Braddock Locks and Dam with a gated dam, and begun construction of
two new larger locks at Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi, Pa. The new
Braddock Dam and Locks became fully operational in April 2004.
Eventually the Corps will remove Locks and Dam 3 in Elizabeth, Pa.,
which are more than 100 years old and have served well beyond their 50
year design life. Since the Lower Mon project started, Dam 3 actually
failed due to scour, but was repaired at considerable cost.
The total project cost was estimated in 1991 at $752 million. The
construction has been repeatedly delayed by lack of funding, and was
re-estimated in 2007 at $975 million based on 2016 completion, and it
was projected at a possible $1.5 billion in 2008.
Wallace Venable, UMRA’s technical coordinator, notes that because the
regular federal budget seldom includes enough money for major long-term
maintenance, the Corps speaks of “buying down risk” at various sites
rather than fixing problems.
The stimulus funding will allow the Pittsburgh District to complete a
number of essential tasks. Building repairs such as re-roofing of
structures, including ones at Point Marion and Hildebrand Locks, and
replacement of antiquated equipment to improve employee and public
safety, will total approximately $1 million. Also in the general plan
for the Mon is $600,000 for critical minimum dredging to maintain the
nine-foot navigation pool depth.
Other improvements for the Upper Mon include security upgrades at
Morgantown, Hildebrand and Opekiska Locks, which are not manned 24/7
and are located in remote areas. This will reduce the risk of vandalism
and stolen equipment. The work also includes upgrading remote operation
of water control gates at six navigation dams, correcting valve
interlock problems, replacing water level gage equipment used to
predict flooding, monitoring dam pier alignment and settlement at
Hildebrand, and testing anchors that secure the gates to the Opekiska
Dam. These activities will cost about $500,000.
Tygart and Stonewall Jackson Lakes will receive about $215,000 for
increased shoreline management and protection of natural resources,
enhanced cleaning, groundskeeping and maintenance services for
recreation areas plus the hiring of temporary rangers to increase
public safety in recreation areas.
Funding for the Upper Ohio River includes $13 million for work on the
Emsworth Dam to stabilize dam gates at the back channel dam, stabilize
the back channel abutment and completing the service bridge.
Work funded for the Allegheny River includes dam scour repairs to two
fixed-crest dams in danger of collapse; replacement of several
emergency generators that are as much as 60 years old or inoperable or
undersized; the first dredging on the Allegheny in many years; repair
of several lock gates; and repairing a building in danger of collapse.
The total for the Allegheny is about $13 million.
Don Strimbeck, UMRA secretary, said the length of this repair list
shows how extensively the funding shortages created by the regular
budgeting process have forced the Corps to rely on “bailing wire and
chewing gum” patches to our waterways infrastructure.