Large Barge Passing Through McAlpine Locks – Ohio River – Louisville, Kentucky
The McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Kentucky, is a critical infrastructure component on the Ohio River, enabling river barge traffic to bypass the Falls of the Ohio, a series of rapids that historically obstructed navigation. The Ohio river serves as a key hub for commercial river traffic, including barges transporting commodities like coal, grain, and industrial goods. The Ohio River connects coal mining regions, particularly in Appalachia, to power plants, steel mills, and export markets via shipping terminals in the Gulf of Mexico.