4 Allegheny River locks in Armstrong County to open for Labor Day weekend

After recent weekend closures, the Allegheny River Development Corp. (ARDC) can pay to open four locks on the Allegheny River in Armstrong County on Labor Day weekend, plus two additional days later in September.

The four locks are in South Buffalo (Clinton lock, No. 6), West Kittanning (No. 7), Boggs (Mosgrove lock, No. 8) and Madison Township (Rimer lock, No. 9).

The revised schedule and times are available on ARDC’s website: www.alleghenyriverdevelopment.org.

The other dates that the locks will be open are Saturdays, Sept. 21 and 28.

ARDC is low on funds after a Pittsburgh lobbyist allegedly told the nonprofit it would receive a grant that never came.

ARDC is still operating in the black, according to Brian Szep, acting president of ARDC.

But the news that there would be no new funds caused the nonprofit to cut back lockages for three weekends and two days for the remainder of the boating season, he said.

Recently, two state lawmakers, Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, and state Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, announced they had grant money totaling about $160,000 for next year.

Szep expects ARDC to be operating the locks in 2020. The grant details need to be worked out, he said.