Baton Rouge, New Orleans Ports Reopen After Ida, Key Oil Hubs Remain Shut
Most ports along the U.S. Gulf Coast had reopened on Thursday following lengthy closures from Hurricane Ida, which lashed southern Louisiana with 150-mile-per-hour winds that caused extensive infrastructure damage and floods.Two of Louisiana’s main ports, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, reopened late on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. They joined the already functional terminals of Panama City, Biloxi, Mobile, Pascagoula, Bienville, Beaumont, Cameron, Lake Charles, Port Arthur…
Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening Begins
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officially kicked off the project to deepen of the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet Friday, as Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge Captain Frank started dredging 5 miles above the Head of Passes.The USACE awarded this first contract for the Ship Channel deepening to Weeks Marine on September 3, 2020, and the Captain Frank started the deepening Friday. The USACE awarded the second cutterhead dredge contract to Manson Construction on September 8, 2020. Manson’s cutterhead, the Robert M. White, is expected to begin deepening in late September.
Lower Mississippi River to be Deepened to 50 Feet
The ports at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, South Louisiana, St. Bernard and Plaquemines are slated to have deep draft access after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday to begin construction on the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River to 50 feet from 45 feet. The overall project will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico over 256 miles of the Mississippi River.
AHM Offsets Emissions from Container Barge Service
SCF Marine Inc., a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc., announced that its container on barge service, operated by SEACOR AMH, is participating in a 12-month accredited U.S.-based carbon offset program starting June 2020.“Through this initiative, diesel carbon emissions from AMH’s container service and the St. Louis, Memphis and Port Allen terminals will be offset to achieve carbon neutrality, a benefit AMH is proud to extend to its direct and indirect customers,” said Rich Teubner…
MarAd Awards $4.8 Mln for Marine Highway Projects
Nearly $5 million in grant funding awarded this week will help enhance existing marine highways serving ports in Louisiana, Virginia, New York and Connecticut, and support the development of new container-on-barge services in Kentucky and Rhode Island.On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced $4,872,000 in grants for six projects through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Marine Highway program, works with public and private stakeholders to support the expanded use of navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion…
Op/Ed: Making the Mississippi River Mightier
A plan unfolds and support grows for a 50-foot Ship Channel to support economical and efficient grain exports. The Big River Coalition remains at the heart of that collaborative effort to make the Mississippi River Mightier. In 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Institute of Water Resources (IWR) released a report under the direction of Congress to document the status of U.S. Ports to accept post-panamax vessels. The report, entitled, “U.S. Port and Inland Waterways Modernization: Preparing for Post-Panamax Vessels” was officially released on June 20, 2012.
Mississippi River Deepening Project Gains Support
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) hosted its Annual Meeting in New Orleans, where NASDA President and Commissioner of Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Michael Strain championed a motion supporting the deepening of the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet. Earlier in the week, Dr. Strain led the effort to gain the support of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) on the same motion. “NASDA…
US Awards $4.85 Mln for Waterways Projects
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $4.85 million in grants to six Marine Highway projects along the waterways of 17 states and the District of Columbia. The goal of the Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Program is to expand the use of U.S. navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion, reduce air emissions and generate other public benefits by increasing the efficiency of the surface transportation system. “These grants will help us take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of one of America’s most crucial transportation assets – our coastal and inland waterways,” Foxx said. The grants will help expand existing marine highway operations across New York Harbor…
Tacoma Port Workers Sign up for Security Credential
Port workers, longshoremen, truckers and others at the Port of Tacoma, will soon become the first in the region to enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The program's goal is to ensure that any individual who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat. Thousands of workers are expected to enroll over the coming months at the Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle which begins enrollment mid-December. Nationwide, more than 1 million workers with unescorted access to secure areas will apply during the rest of 2007 and 2008.
Proposed Lock Replacement will Increase Flood Control and Navigation
Better flood control and navigation are the goals of an $80 million proposal to replace the Bayou Sorrel Lock between Baton Rouge and Morgan City, La., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday. A public meeting is scheduled Thursday, Feb. Council chambers, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine. feasibility study report and draft environmental impact statement. to Morgan City that avoids a long, indirect trip through New Orleans. Waterway. Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee. on the protected (east) side of the levee. higher than the gates of the Bayou Sorrel Lock. continuation of the levee across the waterway. modified to pass a project flood safely. hours per towboat-barge combination. long by 75 ft. wide. The present lock measures 799 by 56 feet. feet. construction.
Port of Baton Rouge Hires Polansky for Security
John Polansky, Jr. the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. facilities. 1978 with a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. inspections of highway construction projects. Charles Harbor and Terminal District. management team," said Roger Richard, port CEO. director.
Port of New Orleans Damaged But Still Workable
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi River is now open in one direction to ships with a draft of 35 feet during daylight hours. Now that a route has been re-established to the Port of New Orleans and other ports on the lower Mississippi River, the port is bringing together all of the pieces that will allow it to be a major force in the reconstruction of New Orleans. "The Port of New Orleans' riverfront terminals survived Hurricane Katrina in fairly decent shape," said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. "In the next several weeks, almost all of the Port of New Orleans will be dedicated to military relief vessels. He added that many repairs will be needed though to bring the Port back to full capacity.
