Six months after heavy ice flows on the Ohio River sent a multibarge breakaway into the Emsworth Locks and Dams, River Salvage Co. Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., continues to clear sunken barges.
The bow section of a sunken barge is raised by the barge Big Al at the Emsworth Locks and Dams. Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District/Thomas Bayle photo
The Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District released photos July 10 showing the work, which is ongoing and has no affect on navigation. In the images, a River Salvage towboat, the 80’x26’, 2,000-hp James Garrett, maneuvers and holds equipment, including the barge crane Big Al, to remove a section of one of three remaining barges on the front channel early this week.
Planning and preparations continue to remove two other barges, and one barge that remains submerged on the back channel, where it came to rest after the breakaway at an upstream fleeting area Jan. 13. Each empty barge weighs around 300 tons, according to Corps officials.
