Tonnage on river increases 60 percent from 2018
Through the first two months of 2019, the Port of Little Rock and its stevedorer, LSI, have seen a year-to-year increase of 33 barges, a 62% increase in activity. Additionally, tonnage is up 49,000 tons year-to-year (60%) with a total of 130,400 tons. Commodities handled during the month included aluminum ingots and tee bars, bauxite, nepheline syenite, rock and sand, scrap, steel coils, wetcake and wire rod coils. LSI expects barge activity to continue to be very strong over the next several months.
Activity on the docks remained strong for February with a total of 47 barges worked- 21 more than February 2018. The 72,000 tons of cargo loaded and unloaded from barges during the month surpassed February 2018 by 80 percent.
Activity on the railroad remains strong as staff adjusts to operational changes implemented by Union Pacific (UP). UP recently implemented its Unified Plan 2020 to improve safety, service and financial performance. For the LRPA train crew, this plan requires longer storage of train cars before they can be placed on a train. The total number of cars handled by the LRPA railroad in the first two months of 2019 is well ahead of last year’s total.
“2019 continues to be off to a strong start,” Bryan Day, executive director of the Little Rock Port Authority said. “As we enter our 60th year serving Little Rock, there is no doubt that the Port is leading the way in job creation in Central Arkansas and is competitively positioned to continue growing.”