Abstract
The Ohio River is one of the busiest inland waterways in the world. It stretches from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to its confluence with the Mississippi River, a reach of 981 river miles (1579 km). Over 240 million tons (217,724 million kg) of cargo are shipped on the Ohio River annually. Additionally, a large number of recreational and other craft use the river. There are 19 high-lift lock and dams on the Ohio River of various ages and capacities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is presently conducting the Ohio River Mainstem Systems Study (ORMSS). Lock and dams are generally designed for a 50-yr service life. As projects approach the end of their initial design life, USACE investigates the need for rehabilitation of the existing project to extend their service life. The study will address a master funding plan for all 19 lock and dams along the Ohio River for the time period 2000–2060. Because of the variation in ages, traffic levels, and maintenance history at the different projects along the Ohio River, the study will use both engineering and economic modeling to determine when and where improvements should be implemented during the study period.
