A towboat pushes nine barges of coal into the Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Monaca, Pennsylvania, Feb. 2, 2024. Between 15 and 20 million tons of cargo travels on the upper Ohio River each year, which includes mainly coal but also coke, petroleum products, raw and finished steel, and aggregates. The Pittsburgh District is soliciting construction proposals to replace the aging and deteriorated 56-foot-wide by 360-foot-long auxiliary chamber with a new 110-foot-wide by 600-foot-long primary chamber. The district received $934 million in funding for the Upper Ohio Navigation project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding helps the district avoid breaking the construction into smaller segments and reduces redundancy in overlapping contracts that can increase cost and extend project timelines. The BIL funding ensures crucial inland navigation facilities will continue to provide the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of moving bulk commodities on the Ohio River for decades to come. The district estimates construction projects at the Montgomery Locks and Dam will support 15,000 jobs across an array of fields, such as engineers and construction laborers. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)