INLAND WATERWAYS

CMT to supply YCP barge fleeting and shifting services

Yellow Creek State Inland Port (YCP) port, located at the intersection of the Tennessee River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Since September 1, 2022, Cooper Marine & Timberlands (CMT) has begun serving as the exclusive barge fleeting and shifting service provider for the Yellow Creek State Inland Port (YCP), located in Iuka, Miss., at the intersection of the Tennessee River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

“Thanks to the leadership of federal, state, and local officials, Yellow Creek Port is on a trajectory of exciting new growth,” said YCP Executive Director Robert Dexter. “Tonnage and revenues have grown by double digits in the past few years. Millions in private and public investments have been made in order to expand job opportunities and modernize facilities. Securing CMT as our port’s exclusive barge fleeting and shifting service provider is another step forward on our mission of growing and diversifying the port’s capabilities to best serve our current and future tenants and to create high paying and reliable jobs for the state of Mississippi.”

“Located at one of the most strategic interchanges on the U.S. inland waterway system, Yellow Creek State Inland Port will

Contract awarded to repair Missouri River navigation structures

Midwest Construction Company, Nebraska City, Neb., has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make repairs to river training structures on the Missouri River last month.

The $27 million for the repair work comes from the BIL—Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation—and is expected to be the first of several separate contracts awarded in the next 12 months to support navigation on the Missouri River. The repairs from this contract will be between river miles 140 to 260—approximately from Jefferson City, Mo., to Miami, Mo.

The Kansas City Engineer District contracting officer, Dave Best, signed the task order award on August 11 as Col. Travis Rayfield, commander of the Kansas City District and several others from the project delivery team looked on.

This contract was completed through a previously negotiated Multiple Award Task Order Contract, or MATOC.

“The MATOC is made up of small businesses that have supported the Missouri River navigation mission for many years. This contracting tool allowed us to quickly get work going on these crucial repairs,” said Best, team lead and contracting officer for the civil contracting branch.

Future repair contracts will be advertised on www.sam.gov with overall authorizations for up to $200 million in repairs to the mostly rock structures which redirect the river’s current to self-scour the navigation channel.

“This award will get the rock rolling. The dikes and revetments that will be repaired over the next couple years with these contracts are critical to maintaining momentum for our navigators who, through barge transportation, are tying the Midwest to shipping on the Mississippi River and on to the world,” said Dane Morris, program manager, Navigation Restoration for the Kansas City District.

continue to serve as a critical gateway for the state of Mississippi, powering businesses and creating jobs,” said Angus R. Cooper III, president, Cooper Marine & Timberlands. “We look forward to partnering with the port’s board of directors and executive director to best support their exciting future growth and to provide CMT’s great customers with the highest level of barge fleeting and shifting services.”

Headquartered in Mobile, Ala., Cooper Marine & Timberlands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cooper/T. Smith.