Lock and Dam Number 52

Lock and Dam Number 52 was a navigation complex on the Ohio River with two separate locks of different sizes to handle commercial vessels. The facility allowed barges and cargo ships to travel along this crucial waterway.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers built this navigation complex in 1929 to improve river traffic on the Ohio. It was demolished between 2019 and 2020 to make way for more modern infrastructure.

The facility represented an essential component of the Ohio River navigation system, facilitating commercial transportation between Pittsburgh and the Mississippi River.

The site is located between Pittsburgh and the Mississippi River and can be viewed from nearby areas, though the original structures are no longer standing. The riverbank offers viewing points where you can see where the complex once operated.

A newer facility, the Olmsted Lock and Dam, replaced this complex and was completed in 2018 after years of planning. This modernization reflects the ongoing need to maintain the infrastructure on this busy waterway.

GPS coordinates: 37.12210,-88.65600

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:58