Montgomery Locks and Dam, Lock and gravity dam system on Ohio River, Beaver County, US

Montgomery Locks and Dam is a two-lock system on the Ohio River in Beaver County that manages vessel passage through a gravity dam structure. The larger commercial lock accommodates barge traffic while the smaller recreational lock serves pleasure boats and smaller craft.

The Montgomery Locks and Dam lie thirty-two miles downstream from Pittsburgh on the Ohio River. The facility is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, whose Pittsburgh, Huntington and Louisville districts appear on the Ohio River locks and dams list. Its two chambers, a 600-by-110-foot commercial lock and a 360-by-56-foot recreational auxiliary lock, average about 300 and 150 lockages a month respectively. Keeping the structure operationally ready cost an average of $5.8 million per year between 2010 and 2014.

The two locks separate traffic by type: barges up to 600 by 110 feet use the main chamber, while pleasure craft pass through the 360-by-56-foot auxiliary lock. The system averages about 300 commercial lockages a month and 150 recreational ones, figures the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tracks.

The site offers viewpoints where visitors can watch vessels pass through the locks, with more traffic typically occurring during warmer months. Arriving early in the day increases chances of seeing active lock operations and boat movements.

The two locks differ in size: the commercial chamber measures 600 by 110 feet, while the auxiliary recreational lock measures 360 by 56 feet. The system handles roughly 300 commercial lockages and 150 recreational lockages each month, and keeping it operationally ready cost an average of $5.8 million per year between 2010 and 2014.