In 1836, construction began on a canal project known as the Muskingum River Improvement. The project was completed in 1841, with a total of 11 locks and 5 sidecut canals along the 91 mile stretch from Dresden to Marietta. It was one of the first river canalization schemes in the United States. The Ohio River traffic was able to travel up the Mighty Muskingum River and into Zanesville. The Dresden Sidecut connected the Ohio & Erie Canal to the Muskingum River in Dresden. This alternative route provided a shortcut to the southeastern section of the state. Today, this is the only canal still in use in Ohio. The Muskingum River contains the only hand operated locks still in use within the United States.