* he Port of Pittsburgh Commission Web site acts as a comprehensive shopping link for shippers seeking information on the river system * The availability of export packaging facilities in the region and the low cost of river transportation make the Port of Pittsburgh a desirable export location * A $705 million project is under way to make the Monongahela the most efficient river in the nation. Three small locks are undergoing renovation and repair, while a new dam and lock are scheduled to be in place by 2010 * Average river transit to/from the Port of Pittsburgh is nine days to/from St. Louis and 12 to 15 days to/from New Orleans * The Port of Pittsburgh Commission offers a full-service location for shippers seeking information on river terminals and barge lines * LASH barge and trans-shipment at Gulf Coast ports provide the potential for direct trans-ocean movements * The Port of Pittsburgh is a first-class cruise destination. USA Today recommends the leg from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati for the best scenery on the inland waterways

The Port of Pittsburgh is the second busiest inland port in the United States and the 19th busiest port of any kind, moving approximately 43.6 million tons of cargo (worth $6.6 billion) yearly. Pittsburgh is larger in tonnage than Philadelphia, Norfolk and St. Louis. The tons of cargo the Port of Pittsburgh ships and receives each year equates to an annual benefit to the region of more than $722 million. Also, 34,000 jobs in southwestern Pennsylvania are dependent upon the waterway transportation system. The Pittsburgh Port District encompasses a 12-county area – essentially all 200 miles of commercially navigable waterways in southwestern Pennsylvania. It supports more than 200 river terminals and barge industry service suppliers and acts as a comprehensive shopping link for shippers seeking information on the river system. More than 24 for-hire terminals exist within the port, specializing in the handling of bulk, break-bulk and project cargo.