This article has been reprinted from the June 27 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Barge traffic has resumed, as river conditions on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are improving.
As of June 27, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lock Status Report shows no lock closures on the Upper Mississippi River or the Illinois River.
The River Industry Action Committee (RIAC), an association of companies and organizations who are stakeholders in the commercial industry on the inland waterways, has established queue guidelines for tows waiting to transit previously closed portions of the river.
RIAC guidelines are helping ease congestion and direct the orderly flow of traffic at locks above St. Louis.
While most of the river system is reported open, some tows are still restricted by high water preventing passage under some bridges.
See today’s feature for more information on the flooding impact on agricultural transportation.