Page 10 - 2024 Community Profile

COMMUNITY

The River Valley Slackwater Harbor engineers, and we’re likely to use Arkansas as well as Fort Smith. Freight customers
project was a joint application with the steel. The investment of over $18 million are predominantly located in those
Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority will have a positive impact, for sure.” two geographic areas. In addition, Five
(WAIA) and Van Buren-based Five Rivers The next step will be to start getting Rivers Distribution offers all modes of
Distribution. As the lead applicant, WAIA is contractors and construction managers transportation and owns a trucking
responsible for the financial administration for the project, as well as perform due company.
and grant oversight for the project. Five diligence and complete the needed The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
Rivers, as the project recipient, will serve environmental studies. Shell says he in the process of completing a 12-foot
as the project manager. It will direct the believes it will take all of 2024 to handle minimum depth channel near the outlet of
scope, schedule, and budget, including the the necessary advance studies and the Arkansas River at the Mississippi River,
preconstruction, construction, technical, requirements but anticipates construction known as the Three Rivers Project. A 43%
and engineering efforts. could begin at the end of 2024 or in early increase in barge capacity is projected
Marty Shell, President of Five Rivers 2025. He said it will take about a year to to be experienced after the completion
Distribution, gave credit to Sasha complete the construction. of the project. Barge shipping provides
Grist, Western Arkansas Planning and With Interstate 40 running east to west 76% more ton-miles/gallon of fuel than
Development District (WAPDD) Executive and Interstate 49 running north to south, shipping by truck, and 1,000% decreased
Director, Ashley Garris, WAPDD assistant the project will make the Fort Smith/Van CO2 emissions in comparison.
Executive Director/Director of Economic Buren region a major player in shipping. “The reason for all of this is to make
Development, and Reese Brewer, WAPDD The site is served by the Union Pacific and things here the very best they can be for
MPO Director, for securing the grant. “This Arkansas & Missouri Railroad lines, which the next generation,” Shell said. “With
has been a vision and project for over 20 connect to the Canadian Pacific/Kansas I-49 through here, we are changing things
years or so. They were able to get the City Southern (KCS) for distribution north for the better here. This will add another
funding and make this happen,” Shell said. and south. piece of that puzzle that will improve this
The slackwater harbor project will be Freight operations are based out of area for the next generation and give them
located on a man-made channel off the the headquarters location in Springdale, reason to stay here.”
Arkansas River at Five Rivers Terminal in
Crawford County, near Van Buren. It will be
a major economic tool for the region that WE HAVE THE BEST
will allow for combined shipping through SHAM SELECTION AND
rail, highway, air and river transportation,
Shell said. LOWEST PRICES
“This will allow the Fort Smith Chamber ROCK
of Commerce and the Van Buren Chamber 5609 Midland Blvd.,
of Commerce and the cities to really sell
this region as a shipping hub,” Shell said. WINE & LIQUOR Fort Smith
The entire slackwater harbor project
is expected to cost $18.87 million with WAREHOUSE (479) 783-2076
matching funds. WAIA is responsible to
contribute the remaining $3.774 million, www.shamrockliquorwarehouse.com
with most of that coming from capital
investment by Five Rivers Distribution.
“We’re going to have a lot of skin in the
game, but this federal money shortens
the timeline for us to get the project
completed,” Shell added.
Little Rock built a similar slackwater
harbor in the 1980s, though it did not
really “take off” until the late 1990s and
early 2000s, noted Shell.
“It’ll take this one some time to grow
shipping business, but there will be
immediate financial benefit for the region,”
Shell said. “The construction of the facility
itself will have local contractors and

10 Van Buren Chamber 2024 Directory vanburenchamber.org