THIS IS THE ORIGINAL RIVER CHAMBER FOR THE SHILOH TROY LOCK LOCKING DAM. SO THIS THIS LAND CHAMBER WAS BUILT IN THE THIRTIES WITH DESIGN IN MIND OF WHAT AT THAT CURRENT DAY WAS THE SIZE OF THE BARGES, THE SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY. I’M STEVE DUNN. I’M THE RESIDENT ENGINEER FOR THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PITTSBURGH DISTRICT. AND THIS IS THE LOWER MAIN RESIDENT OFFICE. THE LOWER MINE PROJECT IN GENERAL, THEY’VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THIS FOR YEARS NOW. AND IT’S FINALLY WE’RE COMING TO FRUITION. I GREW UP VERY CLOSE TO HERE, SO I REMEMBER THIS PLACE PRE-CONSTRUCTION AND THE CHANGE HAS JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, MIND BLOWING. I MEAN, WE’RE GOING FROM 1930 TO TECHNOL. AG WHICH WE’RE STILL RUNNING OFF OF TODAY TO NOW, YOU KNOW, 2023 TECHNOLOGY THAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE IN THE NEW CHAMBER. IT’S IT’S BEEN AMAZING. THAT’S THE STANDARD NINE BARGE TOW IS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF, YOU KNOW, 200 RAILCARS. I MEAN AND IT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF LIKE 350 AXLE TRUCKS. SO IMAGINE THAT EVERY TIME YOU SEE THAT TUGBOAT ON THE RIVER, YOU’RE ELIMINATING ALL THOSE TRUCKS OR ALL THOSE RAIL CARS. I’M AL A.G. AND I AM EQUIPMENT MECHANIC SUPERVISOR HERE AT SCHALLER LOCK AND DAM. I’VE WORKED HERE SINCE 2007, AND I’VE WORKED WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR 26 YEARS. THERE’S THREE DAMS THAT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON. THE CURRENT ONE, CHARLEROI, WE’VE COMPLETED THE BRADDOCK LOCK AND DAMS. AND THEN NEXT SUMMER WE’LL START THE DEMOLITION OF THE ELIZABETH HOFFMAN. SO THIS IS IMPORTANT TO INDUSTRY BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE THE TRAVEL THROUGH THIS LOCKING DAM A LOT MORE EFFICIENT. CURRENTLY, TO ACCOMMODATE THESE LARGER TOWS, YOU’RE LOOKING AT ABOUT AN HOUR FOR THEM TO LOCK A SIX BARGE TOW THROUGH THE CHARLEROI, LOCK AND DAM. IT’S VITALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE’RE ABLE TO TRANSPORT COMMODITIES AT A RATE AND AT AN AT AN EASE TO THE ENVIRONMENT, TO THE ROADWAYS, TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE OF THE RAIL. WE’RE GOING TO HEAD DOWN INTO OUR CULVERTS AND THE CULVERTS ARE ONCE THE WATER GOES INTO YOUR ARE CULVERT INTAKES. THEY’LL GO THROUGH THE CULVERTS AND PASS THROUGH THE PORTS TO HELP LOWER OR RAISE THE POOL, DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY RIVER TRAFFIC’S GOING. IF WE’VE GOT AN UPSTREAM UPSTREAM TEAM. SO THEN WE’LL HAVE TO GO TO UPPER POOL IF WE’VE GOT A DOWNSTREAM TOE, THEN THEY’LL DROP INTO A LOWER. WE’RE IN OUR CULVERT INTAKES. SO WE CONSTRUCTED THESE METAL INTAKES THAT WILL ALLOW THE WATER TO COME IN FROM THE UPSTREAM RIVER. HERE’S OUR GATE VALVES. SO WHEN WE ARE GOING TO UPPER POOL, WE’LL OPEN THESE VALVES. THE WATER WILL COME RUSHING DOWN IN THROUGH OUR STEEL INTAKES, INTO OUR CONCRETE CULVERTS THAT EXTEND THE LENGTH OF THE CHAMBER. THESE CULVERTS ARE TEN BY 12 CULVERTS. AND ONCE WE GET A LITTLE FARTHER IN, WE’LL SEE ALL THE PORTS THAT WILL ALLOW THE WATER TO COME FROM THE CULVERTS INTO THE CHAMBER TO FILL OR LOWER THE POOL. THIS WILL BE UNDER WATER AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, NOBODY WILL BE DOWN HERE FOR YEARS, DECADES. BUT WE’RE GOING FROM METAL STICKS COMING UP OUT OF THE WALL HERE TO RUN OUR STUFF TO, YOU KNOW, TOUCH SCREENS AND HOSES AND ALL OF THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY. SO THERE’S GOING TO BE A LEARNING CURVE FOR SURE ON, YOU KNOW, TRANSITION THING OVER TO THIS NEW SYSTEM. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT’S EXCITING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAMPERED US ON THIS SIDE WITH THE EFFICIENCY IN THE PAST