Photo Credit: Illinois Soybean Association
Four lock and dam systems on the Illinois River are scheduled to close for repairs from June through September.
Tom Torretti with Consolidated Grain and Barge Company tells brownfield although the industry has known about the repairs for two years, it will still create challenges.
“When these locks and dams are closed, if you need product to go north of there you will have to offload it below the lock closures and truck it which will be an additional expense.”
He says shippers can prepare for closures, but the biggest bottlenecks will likely come when the locks reopen in the fall, since that is a busy time for transporting grain and fertilizer.
Illinois River locks set to close for construction in June
