Page 19 - Louisiana Loop (manuscript Edition)
P. 19
As the river becomes deeper and wider below St. Louis the boats
are larger because they are allowed to push more barges.
A typical barge carries 1500 tons of cargo, which is 15 times
greater than a rail car and 60 times greater than one trailer
truck.
An average river tow on the Upper Mississippi River is 15
barges consisting of 5 barges tied together and moving 3
abreast. The same load would require a train 3 miles long or
line of trucks stretching more than 35 miles.
In 1995, 321 million tons of cargos were moved on the
Mississippi River. Barges carry many different types of goods
with coal, petro-chemical products, and grain constituting
most common commodities moved.
