The Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 remains in operation year-round, including during foggy conditions in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, Jan. 25, 2024. The Elizabeth Dam is scheduled for removal in the summer of 2024. After the dam is removed completely, the Monongahela River will have one continuous navigation pool from Charleroi to Braddock, Pennsylvania. Between. The pool elevation will rise approximately two feet from Elizabeth to Braddock. The pool elevation will drop by approximately 3.2 feet from Elizabeth to Charleroi. The resulting river elevation between Charleroi and Braddock will level out to one continuous surface height of 723.7 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District operates 23 navigable locks and dams on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers year-round regardless of weather, including in foggy conditions that restrict visibility. Many towboat crews continue working on the rivers even in the fog, sometimes staging their barges along various parts along Pittsburgh’s waterways as they wait for the mist to lift. Regardless of weather, the Pittsburgh District’s locks and dams remain open for traffic, ready whenever navigation needs to pass commodities through their chambers. The district is responsible for keeping navigation flowing through Pittsburgh, known as the Headwaters District, to and from the rest of the nation. Transporting commodities on the waterways is four times less expensive than by trucks and 33 percent cheaper than by rail. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)