ARTCO Plans New Barge Fleeting Area

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) plans to establish a barge fleeting area for empty and loaded hopper/tank barges to handle increased barge traffic at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

ARTCO filed a permit with the Louisville Engineer District April 14 to establish the fleeting area. The public notice is to remain posted on the district’s website until May 19.

The fleeting area would be established at Mile 973.5 near Cache Island in Ballard County, Ky.

ARTCO proposes to install three anchor barge fleets. Each anchor fleet would consist of two 15-ton Moorfast anchors attached to a string of three empty fleet barges with a 2 ¼-inch stud link anchor chain. The fleets are designed to hold 84 barges, 42 on each side of the anchor barge. The fleets would be arranged seven long and six wide on each side of the three anchor barges.

The fleets would accommodate empty and loaded hopper/tank barges that are used to transport both hazardous and non-hazardous cargo such as grain, coal, lube, ethanol, fertilizer, salt and aggregate, according to the permit application.