Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (November 2021)

39 41

Feature

Inland Waterways now we can move to the next big one and develop a list with new projects. For decades, Olmsted sucked all the oxygen out of the room. That’s over with, funds can be shifted elsewhere.

One regional project that will affect operations in 2022 is the ongoing replacement of the Merchants Bridge, a rail- road bridge at St. Louis. Dennis Wilmsmeyer at ACP said that the ? rst new span was installed in September. Plans are to replace a second 520’ truss span in March of 2022, closing rail traf? c for 10 days and, within that time, river traf? c will stop for two days. Installation of a third and ? nal truss is planned for the fourth quarter of 2022, with similar closures. System impacts are important: Wilms- meyer said the Merchants bridge “is a lifeblood for many river terminals in the region.”

At the national level, work in 2021 continues with major

Army Corps projects at the Lower Mississippi and 2,000 miles away at the Upper Mississippi. A “de? ciency project” in 2021 at the Melvin Price Dam should conclude con- struction there. On the upper Ohio, the Lower Mon proj-

AWO ect continues with completion slated for 2023 or 2024.

This work—these investments, really, in new construc- tion and maintenance—are literally foundational if the “Companies are inland waterways are to be ready for the freight and trans- portation pivot.

unfortunately

With federal funding, waterways of? cials describe unique and favorable circumstances. The CARES Act and

WRDA 2021, passed at the end of 2020, established new ? nding COVID a policies to bulk up expenditures. FY2022 budget proposals (as of this writing) show that Congress is indeed delivering a bigger budget for waterways projects. In addition, the bigger challenge proposed infrastructure bill would add still more money.

Deb Calhoun is Senior VP of the Waterways Council,

Inc. (WCI), a national organization that advocates for a now than any modern, ef? cient and well-maintained inland waterways.

She said the council “continues to be hopeful that an in- other time.” frastructure deal will be reached and signed into law by the end of the year.” She estimates that infrastructure spend- ing and budget appropriations could deliver “more than $4 – Jennifer Carpenter, billion over the next ? ve years” for priority projects.

President and CEO, American

The inland waterways always had brains, talent and ex-

Waterways Operators pertise. Now add money, customer demand, policy goals, ef- ? ciency and a competitive standing. 2022 could be the year.

40 | MN November 2021