Columbus has done a good job in using the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to benefit industry and other elements, said Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority Administrator Mike Tagert.
Tagert was the guest speaker at Wednesday”s meeting of the Columbus Kiwanis Club, which met at the Columbus Country Club.
“Columbus has done a good job of recruiting projects for the waterway. They have done a good job of promoting the waterway, an continue to do so,” he said.
One asset of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is that it is a reliable transport route. Unlike the Mississippi River, which has occasionally had to close to barge traffic because of low waters, Tagert said that hasn”t been the case with the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
“In 1988, when the Mississippi had to close its barge traffic because of low waters, the waterway was a viable alternative route to the Mississippi and kept plants in the Ohio Valley and midwestern states supplied with essential raw materials needed for continued operations until the Mississippi could be navigable again,” he said.
Tagert said according to a study conducted two years ago by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has had a strong economic impact through the four states the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway serves. This includes Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.
“In the 12-year period of this study from 1996-2008, the total impact from the waterway nationally has been over $40 billion. The impact in Alabama was over $16 billion, and Mississippi was second with over $9 billion,” he said.
Tagert said with increasing transportation needs in this country, it is important to utilize waterway transportation.
“Our waterways are vital to national initiatives. It is fuel efficient, it is safe and is compatible with the environment,” he said.
Using a Powerpoint presentation, Tagert spoke of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and its significance to international trade.
“There are more items being transported in containers on barges. In 2008, construction on the new $300 million container port in Mobile was completed. This has allowed an increase of exporting items to international markets by more than a million tons. Before that, we were exporting about two million tons a year,” he said.
Tagert said because the Tennessee-Tombigbee is strategically located to serve increased trade with Latin American countries, manufacturers and producers have another alternative mode of transportation other than truck shipping.
Tagert said items being shipped on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway include coal products, fuel, forest and agricultural products, chemical and steel products and construction materials.
“The Tennessee-Tombigbee has been a good investment since its completion in 1984. It has helped in creating new industries resulting in new jobs,” he said.
Allen Baswell was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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