The National Waterways Foundation released a study this month (May 2022) focused on the current state of the U.S. inland waterways system. The study found that the ability for the United States to maintain a position of strength depends on a regular assessment of infrastructure needs and multimodal development strategies.
Two factors, in particular, the aging infrastructure and competition from other countries’ inland waterway networks, pose a risk to the economic and national security advantage of the United States. Increased investment levels from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act offer an opportunity to greatly enhance the reliability and usefulness of the U.S. inland waterways system. Clearing the backlog of U.S. projects is needed to bring some facilities into more modern practice.
Waterways Foundation Chairman Matt Woodruff adds, “We must be alert to the investments being made in the waterways of other nations that can erode our advantage and, where necessary, invest to increase the efficiency of our system to stay ahead.”
