Freight Optimization and Development in Missouri; Ports and Waterways Module

摘要

Missouris ports and waterways have proven to be important to the regions economic growth and significant to the states role in transporting waterborne freight. The ultimate objectives of this analysis are to provide an inventory of Missouris public and private port operations and public port needs; discuss baseline commodity flow data for Missouris waterways; explore regional, national and global trends that Missouri may capture to increase the states role in freight movements; develop strategies that the state could adopt to accelerate or facilitate freight and logistics development in the state; and create a Waterways Prioritization Process that will assist MoDOT in making justifiable investment decisions that meet the needs of not only Missouris ports, but the state itself. Missouris centralized location and access to multimodal connections places the state in a prime position to strengthen its role as a national freight center. With opportunities such as the expanding container-on-barge and biofuel industries, in addition to other trends discussed in the analysis, Missouri's ports have the ability to promote trade and growth on its waterways.