Federal $ for Pittsburgh Locks & Dams

The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh is slated to receive more than $120 million dollars in the 2009 omnibus bill. Corps Deputy of Programs Management Lenna Hawkins says much of the funding would go toward large, urgent projects. The two that top the list are the Emsworth Locks & Dams and the Monongahela Locks & Dams 2, 3 and 4. The Emsworth facility is currently labeled "unstable" by the Army Corps, and would require more than $25 million in construction costs to stabilize it. Hawkins says the Monongahela projects are somewhat less urgent. However, work on these projects cannot begin until the Inland Waterway Trust Fund matches the federal funding. That means the the start date of this project remains undetermined. Hawkins warns that long delays of Monongahela River construction may cause business to be diverted from the area.