This is what $3 billion looks like

A lot of it is under water for now, but soon it will be operational. Perhaps by the end of August. Or maybe the end of October.

Either way, construction on the Olmsted Locks and Dam below Paducah has taken a lot of time and a lot of money. I spent a couple of days down there this week as a guest of the Waterways Council Inc. as it prepared the media for the big dedication ceremony scheduled for the end of August.

More on all this over the next few days. There was a lot of information presented by a lot of people. Some newspapers are already running stories, and more will come, I'm sure.

And there was one other thing I got to do river-related that I had been wanting to do for a while. That will be another series of blog entries.

A lot of material to write and a lot of photos to prepare.

Confession: I cheated on the above photo a little bit to darken it and bring out some detail. It was bright and sunny and hot down there yesterday.