Common questions

Can you track barges on the Mississippi River?

Can you track barges on the Mississippi River?

Constant monitoring through GIS, surveys, and sensors keeps barge traffic moving. Electronic charting gives river captains up-to-date information. River barge tracking allows the Corps to compare suggested paths with actual paths.

How many barges are on the Mississippi River?

“There currently are 62 vessels with a total of 1,058 barges in the queue,” said Steenhoek.

Is the Mississippi River closed to barge traffic?

The U.S. Coast Guard has reopened the Mississippi River to maritime traffic, ending a shutdown that stranded more than 1,000 barges on the key conduit for agriculture exports.

Do Mississippi barges travel at night?

The barges are pushed up and down the river 24 hours a day, and the equivalent of 49 million truckloads of goods are transported on the river every year. …

How far up the Mississippi can barges go?

Lower Mississippi Louis to the Port of New Orleans has no locks or dams and allows barges up to 7×6 or 42 barge units per tow. Oceangoing ships with drafts of 45 feet and height clearances over 150 feet can navigate the waters up to Baton Rouge.

How far north do barges go on the Mississippi?

The river is 2,340 miles (3,765 kilometers) long. With the Missouri River, the Mississippi forms the world’s third-longest river system. It is navigable by ocean-going vessels from the Gulf to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. North of that location, it is navigable by barges and towboats as far as Minneapolis, Minnesota.

How big are the barges on the Mississippi River?

Most barges are built for specific cargoes. For dry cargo they average 1,500 tons capacity and measure 195 feet (60 metres) long by 35 feet (10 metres) wide; for liquid cargo the proportions are about 2,500 tons capacity and 295 feet (90 metres) by 50 feet (15 metres).

Is the Mississippi River bridge still closed?

A bridge that crosses the Mississippi River has reopened after undergoing three months of repairs due to a crack in the support beam, multiple news outlets reported. “We know having the bridge closed has been incredibly inconvenient,” Bright said. …

Is the I-40 bridge across the Mississippi River still closed?

The Interstate 40 bridge over the Mississippi River at Memphis has reopened, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The six-lane Hernando de Soto Bridge had been closed since May 11, when a crack was discovered in a steel beam.

How long does it take to float down the Mississippi?

The short answer to how long it will take to float down the Mississippi River is around three months. However, as in most things, some factors can change this. For example, your level of fitness, how long each day you will (and can) paddle, weather, and what you are looking for with this trip.

What do barges on Mississippi carry?

Barges carry agricultural commodities of cotton, grain, soybeans, wheat, corn, lumber and wood products, as well as fertilizer, coal, construction materials, metals, sand and gravel. Gasoline, petroleum products and other chemicals account for 200 million tons of shipping annually on the Mississippi River.

How are barge rates determined for the Mississippi River system?

Use the filters to view the average weekly and monthly data by date, lock, or commodity. USDA collects weekly spot barge rates for grain shipments at select locations along the Mississippi River System. The U.S. Inland Waterways utilize a percent of tariff system as a unit for setting barge freight rates.

Why do we need river barge terminals in Iowa?

The ports, terminals and fleeting areas in Iowa provide jobs and income for their communities and support Iowa industries dependent on the river transport. River transportation and our harbors and terminals are an engine for continued economic growth. River Barge Terminal Directory Rev. April 2011

Where does the US Department of Agriculture collect grain barge data?

USDA collects grain barge volumes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lock Performance Monitoring System (LPMS) each week. These data show the movement of grain through the locking portions of the Mississippi River System: Mississippi River Locks 27, Ohio River Olmsted Locks and Dam, and Arkansas River Lock 1.

How many cars are in the river barge terminal?

Rail Car Storage Capacity: 104 cars Barges Worked Capacity: 3 Barges Stored Capacity: 3 Dry Storage Facilities: 2.2 million bushels Major Commodities Handled: Soybeans, yellow corn and white corn River Barge Terminal Directory Rev. April 2011 7 Ag Processing, Inc. River Mile: 716.6 Address: 2753 Port Neal Circle Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054