In late September, more than 800 towboats and barges backed up on the Ohio River after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partially closed a lock for repairs. Tons of com, soybeans and other grains rely on the Ohio River to transport commodities to domestic and overseas buyers. The shut down wasn't a first. Over the past three years interruptions due to maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure has cost shippers and transportation providers dearly. One towboat and barge operator estimates that since 2013, delays caused by lock repairs have cost his company $46.5 million in extra wages and fuel as well as missed incentives for on-time delivery. At the same time, corn shippers are right in the middle of harvest, so the economic impact is yet to be determined.
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