FAIRMONT —
In recent weeks, the North Central West Virginia community has rallied around locks.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) this year announced plans to close or sharply curtail hours at three locks on the Monongahela River. Under the plan, the Hildebrand and Opekiska locks would be closed by October, and the hours cut at Morgantown. The locks would be opened if a commercial entity applied for an appointment with the USACE.
Basically, that would cut off river traffic between Morgantown and Fairmont. No barges or recreational crafts would be able to make it through.
Dan Jones, public affairs chief for the USACE, said the plan is to shut the locks down. They could be opened, by appointment only, for commercial traffic, but wouldn’t be opened for recreational traffic.
The problem is that there isn’t enough traffic to warrant the expense of keeping the locks open full time.
Local News
Related Photos
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The fate of the Opekiska locks is up in the air. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it’s too expensive to operate low-traffic locks like this one at Opekiska and Hildebrand and Morgantown locks farther north. Local community officials are passing resolutions in support of the locks, and community groups are raising awareness. PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER
Rallying around locks
Closures would have major effect on Monongahela River traffic
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