A massive project to improve river transportation in our region is moving ahead. Locally, the 73-year-old locks at Locks and Dam No. 4 must be widened and expanded to accommodate increased river traffic. When U.S. Rep. John Murtha came to town Tuesday, he pledged to keep pushing for federal dollars to complete the lock construction. That’s good to hear. Construction of a new access road and bridge and new service buildings, and a site development plan have already been completed. The new access bridge was dedicated Tuesday in memory of its designer, the late Wayne Martin. What remains is the largest part of the project — construction of new locks. While ground was ceremonially broken Tuesday, work on that portion of the project will not officially begin until next year. In the meantime, preparation will continue with testing and pre-construction work. The Monongahela River is one of our greatest resources, and we must take care of it. That means maintaining a viable river transportation system for future generations. Although the project is behind schedule, we’re glad to hear that Murtha is committed to its completion. Murtha said seeing the Lock 4 project through is a must because it will increase efficiency and save jobs, and we agree. About 200,000 jobs are linked to the region’s waterway navigations, according to the Congressman. “That’s obviously one of the biggest employers in the entire part of western Pennsylvania and the state of Pennsylvania,” he said. And that’s obviously a good enough reason to keep the project moving.

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