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Barge Traffic News

10 Oct 2022

Mississippi River Reopens to Barge Traffic After Low Water Closures

© Harold Stiver / Adobe Stock

Two stretches of the southern Mississippi River were reopened to commercial traffic over the weekend after dredging operations deepened the shipping channel near Memphis, Tennessee, and near Stack Island, Mississippi, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.The major shipping waterway had been closed to vessel traffic at the two locations since at least last week after several barges and boats struck the river bottom in the drought-parched river.The closures disrupted the flow of newly harvested grain from Midwest farms to export terminals at the U.S.

04 Oct 2022

US Barge Backlog Swells on Parched Mississippi River

© Bill Perry / Adobe Stock

Commercial barge traffic on southern stretches of the Mississippi River was at a standstill on Tuesday as low water levels halted shipments of grain, fertilizer and other commodities on the critical waterway, shipping sources said.The supply chain snarl comes just as harvesting of corn and soybeans, the largest U.S. cash crops, is ramping up and as tight global supplies and strong demand for food and fuel have sent inflation soaring.Around 100 tow boats hauling some 1,600 barges were lined up for miles waiting to pass through one trouble spot near Lake Providence…

24 Aug 2022

Costello Lock Closed Due to Silt Build Up

(Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The Jerry F. Costello Lock on the Kaskaskia River, near Modoc, Ill., has been closed due to silt and debris build up on the lock sill and chamber, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said.Contracted divers were utilized to remove underwater obstructions, but the issue with the gate persists, USACE's St. Louis District said in a statement on Tuesday. Crews from the St. Louis District’s Motor Vessel Pathfinder are on site to excavate silt that is preventing the downstream miter gates from closing from properly closing.“Our goal at the Jerry F.

25 May 2022

Continued Investment Strengthens Key US Midwest Ports

(Photo: America’s Central Port)

More than a half a billion dollars in recent, current or expected improvements at three Midwestern ports will strengthen these facilities and reinforce their important roles in the global freight network. The significant investments at Port KC, America’s Central Port, and Kaskaskia Regional Port District, along with new infrastructure funding recently secured, will spur an increase in barge services and deliver cost efficiencies that drive profitability for the industry. Port KC is located on the Missouri River.

07 Mar 2022

Recovery, Resilience and Demand Shifts to Drive Inland Waterway Cargo Flows

(Photo: Blessey Marine Services)

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

23 Nov 2021

USACE Vicksburg Welcomes Home the Dredge Jadwin

(Photo: Sabrina Dalton / USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District welcomed home the Dredge Jadwin and crew Nov. 18, 2021, to the Vicksburg Harbor just in time for the holidays.The dredge and crew of around 50 set out May 3, 2021, for their annual season of dredging on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers as well as the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. “The Dredge Jadwin crew’s job is so very important, and we are thankful everyone made it home safely,” said Col. Robert Hilliard, Vicksburg District commander.

21 May 2021

Stranded Grains Ships to Be Towed Free from Rosario

(Photo: Claudio Elias)

Seven grains ships stranded at Argentina's export hub of Rosario will be towed free and sent out to sea after they were loaded with more produce than could be carried on the port's increasingly shallow waters, local authorities said on Friday.Rosario traffic has been snarled in the aftermath of a 48-hour strike by tugboat captains and other workers managing the flow of agricultural cargo ships.Seven ships, six of them large Panamax vessels, loaded with soymeal, corn and other farm products were moored at Rosario during the work stoppage.

13 May 2021

Barge Traffic Backs Up Near Memphis Amid Mississippi River Closure

More than 700 barges are delayed on the lower Mississippi River on Thursday after a structural crack in the Hernando de Soto Bridge prompted the U.S. Coast Guard to halt vessel traffic on a portion of the crucial trade artery.The Coast Guard restricted all vessel traffic between mile markers 736 and 737 on the Mississippi River near Memphis after the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) discovered a large crack in a steel support beam on the bridge carrying I-40 over the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tenn., to West Memphis, Ark.The number of vessels and barges waiting to transit in either direction rose from 16 and 229 on Wednesday afternoon to 44 vessels and 709 barges and counting by Thursday morning, according to the Coast Guard.

29 Apr 2021

Alexander Cairo Port Completes Project Labor Agreement

(Photo: Alexander Cairo Port District)

The construction of a new inland port at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers took another step forward on Tuesday as the Alexander Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Illinois AFL-CIO. The project labor agreement ensures that more than 500 jobs created by the construction of the Cairo port will be filled by local Illinois union workers.The Alexander-Cairo port represents one of the largest investments in Southern Illinois in decades.

27 Aug 2020

Port of Houston Reopens as Hurricane Closure Lifted

(File photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

The Port of Houston, the United States' largest energy export port, began reopening to commercial shipping on Thursday after a day-long closure due to Hurricane Laura, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Ports along the Texas and Louisiana coasts were closed as the Category 4 hurricane churned up the Gulf of Mexico and went ashore in Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday. The storm brought hurricane winds and high seas to the region.The Port of Houston, a major import and export hub for fuel, chemicals and consumer goods, closed on Wednesday.

18 Feb 2020

The Federal Government’s 2020 Inland Impact

© William J. Chizek / Adobe Stock

It is often difficult to push through the federal government morass to focus on the issues that actually matter to the inland operator. While 2020 inevitably will be a contentious year in American politics, it is critical to stay focused on the items that will have direct impact on the U.S. maritime industry. From a potential new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill to potential Jones Act challenges, 2020 will be an important year for inland operators to stay politically engaged.Work on WRDAJanuary marked the beginning of Congress’ work in earnest toward introducing a new WRDA bill.

29 Aug 2019

SENNEBOGEN Offers Ports More, Cleaner Material Handling Options

The SENNEBOGEN 875 E Hybrid material handler offers increased working loads and reaches of up to 95 ft. (29 m) with the lowest energy consumption.

For decades, SENNEBOGEN has been providing customer-specific material handlers, especially in the challenging port sector. SENNEBOGEN's versatile line of port material handlers is especially valued when bulk and general cargo needs to be unloaded from the ship or barge as quickly as possible.The capabilities of SENNEBOGEN’s port specialists were on large display at the recent edition of Bauma, where the firm demonstrated its 875 E Series Hybrid model, featuring the now proven…

28 Aug 2019

Creative Approach Keeps Commerce Flowing Amidst Historic Flooding

Aerial view of the Jerry F. Costello Lock & Dam on the Kaskaskia River. CREDIT: St. Louis Freightway

Operational changes keep Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam open for 17 days longer than typical during high water events.While the record flooding in 2019 disrupted barge traffic throughout the inland waterways in the Midwest for extended periods this spring and summer, a little out-of-the-box thinking helped limit the number of days the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam was forced to close, keeping commerce flowing on the Kaskaskia River in Southern Illinois for several additional days during the persistent high water.The Kaskaskia River is a critical transportation link for several commodities…

15 May 2019

OP/ED: Is Short Sea shipping on the horizon along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway?

Are paradigms shifting on the increased role of inland waterways with respect to short sea shipping and the Nation’s marine transportation system? Investigation and implementation of new commerce shipping avenues are becoming more common along the Eastern seaboard of the United States with each new announcement of a Port Authority supporting the development of shipping routes for container on barge services.In the past few weeks, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) furthered their quest to develop a marine highway to support the Port of Charleston in South Carolina.

13 May 2019

St. Louis Ports, Terminals Tops in Efficiency

Image: St. Louis Regional Freightway.

Now Capture 39 Percent of the Upper Mississippi River Barge Traffic; new data highlights concentration of river terminals, resulting in greater efficiencies and lower costs.The latest data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reveals the St. Louis Regional Ports held onto the top ranking as the most efficient inland port district* in the nation in terms of tons moved per river mile during 2017, the most recent year for which final numbers are available. The St. Louis region’s barge industry handled 472,400 tons per mile.

03 May 2019

Flood-Swollen Mississippi River Closed at St. Louis

The Mississippi River as it winds around the St. Louis Arch on a better day. CREDIT: St. Louis Regional Freightway.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it closed the Mississippi River near St. Louis to boat and barge traffic on Friday as excessive rains and heavy snow melt this spring swelled the major shipping waterway to near record levels.The river - a key transportation artery for shipments of grain, agricultural chemicals, energy products and other commodities - is closed from river mile marker 179 to 184, the Coast Guard said."The Mississippi is closed to all vessel traffic due to extremely high water levels and fast-moving currents," said U.S.

25 Apr 2019

Floods Stall Inland Fertilizer Barge Shipments

Inland waterways with St. louis in the background. (Credit: St. Louis Regional Freightway)

Farm supplier CHS Inc has dozens of loaded barges trapped on the flood-swollen Mississippi River near St. Louis - about 500 miles from the company's two Minnesota distribution hubs.The barges can't move - or get crucial nutrients to corn farmers for the spring planting season - because river locks on the main U.S. artery for grain and fertilizer have been shuttered for weeks. High water presents a hazard for boats, barges and lock equipment.Railroads have also been plagued by delays from winter weather and flooding in the western Midwest…

10 Oct 2018

Excessive Rain Disrupts US River Barge Shipping

© Henryk Sadura / Adobe Stock

Excessive rains across the central United States over the past week have slowed the harvest of corn and soybeans, while rising water levels closed at least three locks on the Upper Mississippi River, a key artery for shipping Midwest grain to U.S. Gulf exporters.Cash bids for corn shipped by barge to the Gulf firmed on Tuesday, reflecting exporter demand and dwindling pipeline supplies as rising river levels slowed barge traffic.The United States is the world's top corn supplier, and sales of the yellow grain represent one U.S.

04 May 2018

Tech File: Material Handler Boosts Paducah’s Productivity

Located at the confluence of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the Ohio River and the Cumberland River and just upstream from the Mississippi, the City of Paducah is an important hub in the inland waterways network. In 2015, newly appointed Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority Executive Director Bill Miller’s first priority was to upgrade the port’s infrastructure.“Our 20 year old lattice boom crane was past its useful service life,” he said, adding, “So the Board for the Riverport Authority authorized a bid spec to replace it with the best available equipment.” Today…

27 Mar 2018

Maritime to Get Biggest Bang for VW Settlement Bucks

© tarasov_vl / Adobe Stock

Imagine a settlement over falsifying emission levels in another transportation sector dropping money onto your deck. Who knew? But it’s true. The $2.9 billion settlement fund Volkswagen agreed to capitalize for distribution across all 50 states, tribal lands and Puerto Rico, as a result of “dieselgate,” its criminal dodging of required auto emission levels, presents an unparalleled opportunity to maritime companies that want to move their noxious diesel engines up a couple of EPA notches, and stick someone else with close to half the bill or more.

09 Mar 2018

Virginia Port’s Cargo Numbers Up

Despite a slight dip in volume of .7 percent in February, The Port of Virginia’s fiscal year 2018 cargo volumes are up nearly 4 percent, or nearly 69,000 TEUs. “February is a short month and our volume was relatively static, in a year-on-year comparison,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA). “January featured two snowstorms, which had an impact on our performance, yet we continue to perform in-line with our fiscal-year volume forecast. In February, the port processed 218,729 TEUs, which is .7 percent, or 1,647 fewer units when compared with last February. Cargo volumes at Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) and Virginia Inland Port (VIP) and were up 45 and 4 percent, respectively.

10 Nov 2017

Antwerp Port Focus on Container Barge Handling

The Antwerp port community has drawn up an action plan to make container barge handling in the port more efficient. Container handling has come under heavy pressure in some shipping terminals over the past few months. The rapidly growing volumes and the ever larger sizes of seagoing ships calling at the port in combination with labour shortages have led to peak loads on the terminals, with long waiting times for container barges as a result. Since barge traffic is important for the port community as a whole, for sustainable transport of freight to and from the hinterland, serious efforts have been put into drawing up an action plan in the past few months aimed at making structural improvements in the short term.

06 Nov 2017

The ‘Ag Coast’ of America

(Image: St. Louis Regional Freightway)

St. Louis Region’s Agriculture Freight Network Poised for Growth as Handling Capacity Increases along a 15-mile section of the Mississippi River. Located in the heartland of America, one 15-mile section of the Mississippi River in the St. Louis, Missouri, region delivers the highest level of grain barge handling capacity anywhere along the Mississippi River. Known as the “Agriculture or Ag Coast” of America in terms of barge transfer facilities for agricultural products, local stakeholders also know that in order to sustain and grow this impressive market share…

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