Economic Club of Pittsburgh Lunch [Image 43 of 48]

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES

03.08.2023

Photo by Michel Sauret      

Defense Media Activity - Web.mil

Col. Adam Czekanski, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, shakes hands with Jonathan Hill, vice president of the Economic Club of Pittsburgh during a lunch hosted at the Allegheny HYP Club in downtown Pittsburgh, March 9, 2023.

During his presentation, Czekanski spoke about the Pittsburgh District's overall mission in supporting navigation and reducing the risks of flooding in the region, as well as some of the economic benefits from construction projects on the Ohio and Monongahela rivers.

Czekanski also discussed how funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is making construction more efficient for the Upper Ohio Navigation Project compared to a similar structure on the Monongahela River in the past, where funding was piecemealed over several decades.

The BIL provided more than $935 million to construct a newer, larger navigation chamber at Montgomery Locks and Dams on the Ohio River, estimated to take eight to 10 years to complete. Comparatively, construction at Charleroi Locks and Dam began in 2004 and is expected to finish next year, 20 years after the project started.

During the presentation, Czekanski shared figures that compare the cost and economic impact of moving bulk commodities on the river versus via rail or truck.

One tow pushing a 15-barge load transports 216 rail cars or 1,050 trucks. As a result, towboats are the most cost-effective and have the smallest carbon footprint among competitive transportation modes.

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Michel Sauret) (Michel Sauret) (230309-A-TI382-0072)

• Date Taken: 03.08.2023
• Date Posted: 08.24.2026 18:19
• Photo ID: 9886276
• VIRIN: 230309-O-TI382-1250
• Resolution: 5128x3419
• Size: 6.04 MB
• Location: PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US