WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded $139.73 million to locks and dams projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The funding is contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“I am pleased to see the stimulus funds benefit Pennsylvania’s waterways and flood control programs,” said Senator Specter. “This funding will help create jobs, protect the locks and dams and ensure safety for residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
“These projects will strengthen the region’s commercial navigation system, improve water quality and promote ecosystem restoration,” said Senator Casey. “More importantly, these initiatives will help create jobs and promote economic development. Our delegation has worked closely with the Corps to make sure that sufficient federal resources are made available for these projects, and I am glad to see that these projects will receive sufficient funding through the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
More information and a complete list of projects funded can be found at http://www.usace.army.mil/recovery/Pages/default.aspx. Southwestern Pennsylvania regional projects include:
• $84 million for Locks and Dams 2, 3 and 4 on the Lower Monongahela River – funding will be used to construct guard walls which will guide river traffic into the locks and away from the dam and to complete the construction of the river wall
• $13 million Emsworth Locks and Dams, Ohio River – funding will be used to stabilize dam gates and associated activities
• $5 million for repairs to locks and dams and associated projects designed to improve commercial navigation on the Allegheny River
• $285,000 to complete a study of three unreliable Lock and Dam projects on the Ohio River with a high risk of unscheduled closures up to 1 year in duration. Estimated annual transportation savings from 2002-2007 were $202 million
The Pennsylvania delegation has made investments in the region’s waterway infrastructure a top priority.
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