Out of This World

Video by Dan Jones, Michel Sauret, Stacey G. Wyzykowski

A History of the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

Aug. 28, 2024 | 10:32

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 near Monessen and Charleroi, Pennsylvania in 1931. The facility, commonly referred to as the “Charleroi Locks and Dam,” went through its first significant rehabilitation 31 years later, in 1963. The work included, reconstructing the dam converting it from a fixed crest to a gated dam, raising the pool level by six feet, and USACE completed the rehabilitation in 1967.

The facility’s name changed to the John P. Murtha Locks and Dam when the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 authorized the renaming in honor of Congressman Murtha, who represented Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district and served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

Major construction of the riverside lock at the Charleroi Locks and Dam was successfully completed in 2024, marking a new era in Ohio River Basin navigation system. The new lock will ensure reliable navigation on the lower Monongahela River for the next century. It incorporates innovative technology that paves the way for the potential remote operation of the lock in the future. By the end of 2024, the Lower Mon Project is projected to return more than $200 million in annual benefits to the region and nation, promising a bright and prosperous future.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District video edited and animated by Stacey Wyzykowski; script and photos provided by Michel Sauret; narrated by Doug Fulton; graphic design by Daniel Jones / Licensed content from Megatrax Production Music, LLC)