Braddock Locks and Dam Opens After Repair

The Army Corps of Engineers re-opened the large chamber at the Braddock Locks and Dam in the Monongahela River Sunday morning after emergency repairs that took 53 hours and cost half a million dollars.

The Braddock Locks and Dam date back to 1906 and had a major rehabilitation in 1953. Dave Sneberger, Chief of Locks and Dams for the Army Corps of Engineers, says locks on all Pittsburgh's rivers, and indeed the whole country's river system, are old and haven't gotten the resources to maintain them adequately.

Barge traffic had to be diverted to the small chamber, according to Sneberger, which increased lockage time from one hour to as much as eight hours, costing the towing industry hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rehab is scheduled in the next few weeks to strengthen the other gates in Braddock.

Rally and Picnic to be held in support of Green Jobs

On Saturday May 31st The sierra club along with the Steelworkers Union, the Blue Green Alliance and a handful of community groups will be holding a rally and picnic in Braddock in support of green jobs in Pennsylvania. The event is free and will be held from 11:00 am -2:00 pm on the corner of Braddock Avenue and Library road. This event is part of a national effort by the Sierra club to promote green jobs throughout the nation. The campaign wants to find viable solutions that will help the economy and the Eco system at the same time.