The Administrator of U.S. Department Administration, Maritime Administration, Paul “Chip” Jaenichen presents Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Executive Director of America’s Central Port, with the America’s Marine Highway Award to recognize the Port for their Illinois Intrastate Shuttle Project Designation for the potential future movement of sea containers on river barges.
(Photo courtesy of America’s Central)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Dec. 5 announced $4.85 million in grants to six Marine Highway projects along the waterways of 17 states and the District of Columbia.

Among them: a demonstration project for a “marine highway” on the Illinois River between St. Louis, Mo., and Chicago, Ill., and a container-on-barge service along the Mississippi River between New Orleans, La., Minneapolis, Minn., and Chicago, Ill.

Granite City is slated to become a key connecting point in the planned new inland marine freight system; designed to facilitate the exporting of Midwestern commodities to markets outside the U.S.

The goal of the Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Program is to expand the use of our Nation’s navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion, reduce air emissions, and generate other public benefits by increasing the efficiency of the surface transportation system, the U.S. Department of Transportation explained in a prepared statement.

“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,” said Transportation Secretary Foxx.

Other grants will help expand existing marine highway operations across New York Harbor, along the Mississippi River between New Orleans, La., Baton Rouge, La., and Memphis, Tenn., and on the East Coast between Richmond and Hampton Roads in Virginia, as well as planning efforts to determine the feasibility of commuter ferry services between Virginia and the District of Columbia,

“It is essential that we invest in integrated, multi-modal transportation systems that support the efficient movement of freight and people throughout this country,” said Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen.  “Our Nation’s extensive network of waterways and domestic seaports provide an opportunity to help stimulate economic growth while reducing congestion on our national freight transportation system.”

Sponsored by America’s Central Port in Granite City, the Illinois River Container on Barge Shuttle initiative is an 18-month demonstration project to provide shuttle service for agricultural customers moving containerized exports between southern and northern Illinois to access the Union Pacific and BNSF rail ramps.

The shuttle service will operate on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers between the village of Channahon, in suburban Chicago, and Granite City, with an option to extend container-on-barge service to the Gulf of Mexico ports in concert with related Mississippi River Container on Barge Project.

Under the Mississippi River Container project, the City of St. Louis Port Authority, along with three partners [Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals, Inc. (IRPT), the Mississippi Rivers Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI), and Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA)] are provided funding to support planning efforts focused on the development of containerized shipping along the Mississippi River, between New Orleans, and Minneapolis, and Chicago.

“This is a demonstration project to move ocean sea containers — that is, twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) — by river barge on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers,” said Megan Dittman, marketing manager for America’s Central Port in Granite City. “The concept is that empty TEUs will be repositioned from the Chicago market, placed on barge and moved down river to Beardstown and Granite City/Madison to be loaded with grain.  From there, the loaded TEUs (containers) will either be sent back up to the Chicago market for loading to rail, placed on rail in St. Louis, or continue down river on barge to New Orleans.”

The federal funds will be used to purchase or lease equipment necessary for the loading and unloading as well as for delivery processes.

“It is hoped that the project will be underway by Summer 2017; in an effort to demonstrate that river movement of containers is cost-effective and sustainable,” said Dittman.

The Illinois River container shuttle project this month was awarded $713,000 in federal funds, which will be matched with $200,000 in local funds to cover a total anticipated project cost of $913,000, Dittman continued.

The Mississippi River container project was awarded a $96,000 federal grant.

The U.S. Maritime Administration officially designated America’s Port District part of the Illinois Intrastate Shuttle Project last year, following a visit by Jaenichen last year.

In support of its planned new role, the port district is constructing 4.25 miles of new rail track throughout its business and industrial campus. The new rail line is to be completed by Jan. 1, 2017.

— Chicago-St. Louis “freight shuttle” planned for Illinois River  —