Mayors support proposed Mississippi barge service

The Mayors of St. Louis, Grafton, Alton, Hartford and Clarksville, all part of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI), have announced that the Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals Association  (IRPTA) is the first to sign a resolution in support of starting a container-on-barge shipping line on the river.

The announcement came during IRPTA’s 2014 annual conference, during which Mayor Slay of St. Louis said:  “IRPT’s support will help propel this container-on-barge shipping line forward. The ramifications for our river region will be significant, providing jobs and improving transportation.  It will position us to be a global economic force, ensuring we better use the river assets to increase the region’s economic health and competitiveness”.

The shipping line was initially unveiled by MRCTI in October at the Mississippi River Economy Summit held in Memphis; it builds on the container shipping line previously run from Memphis to New Orleans and the line about to be initiated by the Illinois Soybean Association.