A deteriorating steel dock along the Allegheny River in Gilpin is getting old but has the potential to help the local economy.
It's the last commercial dock going upriver from Pittsburgh, located in the township’s Schenley section, at milepost 30.8 on the Allegheny River north of the city.
Armstrong Terminal Inc., the owner, intends to replace the dock this year to enhance its ability to serve barge traffic and expand business in the area, with the help of a $1 million state grant.
The financing comes from the state Commonwealth Financing Agency through its Multimodal Transportation Program.
The dock, which was installed in the 1940s, is being worn down by the river, weather, and industrial usage. It isn’t meeting the needs of Armstrong Terminal, a facility that handles all types of dry-bulk materials for the fertilizer and animal feed markets.
The dock is within Schenley Industrial Park, the former home of the largest distillery in the country, Schenley Distilling Co.
The park is also home to Senjan Machine Inc., the Schenley Yacht Club, and BPI Inc., an industrial minerals supplier.
Armstrong Terminal uses barges and trucks to distribute goods to the Northeast, Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Samuel Lansberry II, owner of Armstrong Terminal, expressed gratitude for the funding that will help cover the estimated $3 million project.
“Our dock is in desperate need of repair,” Lansberry said. “These grant funds will allow us to carry out the rehabilitation effort and continue handling barge traffic on the river, contributing to the success of Armstrong County.”
At present, Armstrong Terminal schedules about one barge per week, taking from one to three days to unload.
The company must cover 30% of the project cost and has applied for an additional multimodal PennDOT grant that is pending.
Lansberry mentioned that bids haven’t been requested as he only learned of the grant last week.
Authorities hope the enhancements will stimulate economic growth and improve local transportation infrastructure in Armstrong County.
Once completed, the new dock is expected to handle double the current load, leading to an increase in workforce and safety, according to Gilpin Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull, who backs the project.
David Finken, manager of Armstrong Terminal, anticipates a doubling of barge traffic, from 50 to 100 per year.
Armstrong Terminal relies on barges as its most cost-effective transportation mode.
One barge can transport what would require about 70 tractor-trailers, according to Finken.
“We’re operational now but you can see it’s not flat, not level, and we unload with a clam shell bucket and excavator, which makes it easier,” Finken said.
Armstrong Terminal started shipping animal feed, mulch, stone, salt, and other items last year.
Finken said they want to expand that further.
Established in 1991, Armstrong Terminal is a subsidiary of Lansberry Trucking of Clearfield County.
Finken believes they can expand the business with an investment, possibly with help from the state.
The project will be completed in two phases and is expected to take less than a year.
During Phase I, they will fix 400 feet of the 700-foot long dock and install a new steel dock in front of the current one.
The dock, located upriver from Lock and Dam 5, was originally built to prevent flooding and has sections that are washed out. Its wall is uneven and leaning, held together in some places with wire cable.
According to Finken, the dock's unevenness causes delays for barges and it's the last dock for commercial businesses. It has been heavily used for over 80 years and is not suitable for their current needs.
Since 2011, the four locks upstream of Lock 5 only operate on select summer weekends to accommodate recreational boaters.
It takes about eight hours for a barge to travel from Pittsburgh to the dock in Schenley.
Local and state officials have been advocating for the project since discussions began last year.
Gilpin expressed support for the project, and Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana; and state Reps. Abby Major, R-Leechburg, and Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion, also backed it.
Major stated, "The Allegheny River plays a vital role in our region's economy. These improvements will benefit both commercial traffic and recreational boating, drawing visitors and businesses to our community. I'm pleased to back this project."
The Allegheny River has a total of eight locks, all fixed-crest dams.
Alan Nogy, Army Corps of Engineers lock and dam branch chief lockmaster based at Neville Island, promised that there will be at least a 9-feet-deep draft in the navigable channels to prevent barges from dragging on the river bottom.
Nogy mentioned that Lock 5 has around 130 commercial uses annually, moving 52,000 tons of goods, and about 355 recreational uses with approximately 576 vessels.
Nogi explained the order in which vessels may navigate the locks and dams, stating that government vessels have first priority, followed by commercial boats with time restrictions, then commercial traffic like barges and tow boats, and lastly recreational boats.
Government vessels are given the highest priority, followed by commercial boats with time constraints, then commercial traffic such as barges and tow boats, with recreational boats having the lowest priority.
Lock 5 is open for 10 hours daily, while Locks 6, 7, 8, and 9 offer limited service by appointment due to the lack of commercial development along the river.
