Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Port Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port Authority consultants say feasibility study due this month, flag inbound tonnage shortfall
Summary
Consultants told the St. Charles County Port Authority on April 8 that a feasibility study for potential port sites should be finished by the end of April; a market assessment using 2023 Army Corps of Engineers data shows an imbalance favoring outbound tonnage, prompting recommendations to pursue more inbound cargo and alternative trucking access.
The St. Charles County Port Authority on April 8 received a progress report on a county-funded port feasibility study from consultants with GFT. Barb Frost of GFT said the study should be finished by the end of the month and described five work tasks covering site evaluation, regional market assessment, ferry-support planning, MoDOT compliance for land acquisition, and port planning.
Frost told board members the first task assessed existing site conditions and initial development considerations including constructability, transportation connectivity and land-use compatibility. "The study should be finished by the end of the month," Frost reported.
Greg Kelahan, also of GFT, reviewed a market assessment that drew on 2023 Army Corps of Engineers tonnage figures. Kelahan said the current balance of inbound and outbound tonnage is uneven and recommended the Port Authority consider ways to increase inbound tonnage to correct the balance. He also discussed barge fleeting (parking) as a potential service and noted that "even if a site review shows that docking may be challenging there may be access to trucking tonnage."
The consultants said they will continue site-level analysis and identify future opportunities for the Port Authority. No board action was taken at the meeting; the study's final deliverable is expected at month-end.
