Allegheny River Lock And Dam 2 Closing For Repairs

SHARPSBURG (KDKA) -- New restrictions will begin Monday for both commercial and recreational boaters at the Allegheny River Lock and Dam 2 for much-needed repairs.

The inner-walls at the more than 80-year-old Allegheny River Lock and Damn 2 show signs of deterioration.

"It's falling in if you went through that lock, half the wall is falling in the water," said Chris Scaff, a boater.

Starting Monday, the lock and dam will be closed and the good news is the Army Corp of Engineers has the funding to make the repairs.

"Currently right now both the land wall and the river wall, all the concrete surfaces are suffering from severe deterioration," said Vincent DeCarlo from the Army Corp of Engineers. "This deterioration really creates an unsafe condition for commercial and recreational users."

DeCarlo said now is the time for repairs while the river is at a low level. Between August and November, there will be four intermittent closures of the lock chamber. One of the openings is planned for Labor Day Weekend.

An agreement has already been reached with the Waterways Association of Pittsburgh to modify commercials deliveries.

However, up to 3,000 recreational boaters who use the locks every year will have limited use.

"It's an inconvenience, it will stink for a while, but once it's fixed we will be good to go again," said Scaff.

Most boaters and swimmers agree it will be an inconvenience, but worth it for safety reasons.

"It's a lot of fun to go through the lock and go to the city pool, however, safe boating is number one to all of us and we want the locks to be safe for all of our boaters here in Pittsburgh," said Dawn Cerreta.

"We ask for their patience and their understanding as we work to provide them a safe and useable facility for decades to come," said DeCarlo.