Slackwater Harbor Nearing Completion In Port of Little Rock

The Little Rock Port Authority is nearing completion of a $10 million construction project in the slackwater harbor, partially funded by a 2016 U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant, according to Executive Director Bryan Day.  Completed improvements included construction of a new dock and the addition of moorings with a permanently installed cable winch system to allow for continuous flow of barges and improved efficiency of commodity movements.

The new dock is connected to the existing railroad track by an 1,800-foot spur to allow for direct barge-to-rail transfer.  Final elements of the project include construction of a 200- by-150-foot open warehouse structure and a scale house, and the addition of conveyors with barge-loading flow control equipment.

When all improvements are completed by the end of the year, the slackwater harbor will be equipped to provide the latest in multi-modal efficiency, allowing up to 50 percent more freight to be handled at the harbor and improve handling of the first and last mile segments of freight that come through the Port of Little Rock.