Create a free Feed & Grain account to continue reading

Study Examines Impact of Unscheduled Lock Outages on Barge Traffic

Unscheduled closure at La Grange could lead to $2.1 billion dollar loss in farm-dependent income

The National Waterways Foundation and U.S. Maritime Administration released its study, “The Impacts of Unscheduled Lock Outages,” which shows the economic impact of unscheduled lock outages at four locations along the Illinois, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers and on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Two of the selected locations, La Grange Lock and Dam (L&D) on the Illinois River and Mississippi River L&D 25, have total tonnages consisting of primarily agricultural goods. The study reports that an unscheduled closure at La Grange could lead to $2.1 billion dollar loss in farm-dependent income and a L&D 25 closure would severely stress the ability of the nation’s railroads to ship diverted corn and soybeans to export locations.

In addition, the study highlights the economic benefits of having a reliable navigation system. The Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee and the Vanderbilt Engineering Center for Transportation and Operational Resiliency at Vanderbilt University prepared the study.

Page 1 of 280
Next Page