The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding efforts to increase container-on-barge traffic along the Mississippi River. Federal and local officials on Monday announced six Marine Highway Grants, including two aimed at boosting freight at the Port of St. Louis and America’s Central Port in Granite City. Increasing containers on the nation’s inland waterways will be necessary to meet increasing demand over the next 30 years, said U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen. “It’s really not a matter of 'if', it’s a matter of 'when.' 85 percent of all freight that’s moving domestically is moving on our roads and our rails. That is just not sustainable from a congestion stand point. We’re going to have to incorporate water into that transportation freight network,” he said. According to Jaenichen, about 6 percent of the total domestic freight market takes place on inland waterways. America’s Central Port is getting $713,000 for a program to shuttle
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