The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to begin repair work next month on 5 of 8 locks and dams on the Illinois River. It’s an important navigational route for exports of U.S. soybeans and corn down to the Gulf of Mexico. Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek says those repairs are badly needed and he’s pleased the Corps is proceeding with that rehabilitation.
He says those repairs need to be made not too early in the year when weather can create delays and postponements. Steenhoek says it’s also critical it’s not done later so it clogs up exports during harvest season.
Steenhoek says the locks and dams on the Illinois river carry a great deal of corn and soybeans to U.S. export customers.
Steenhoek says one of the main locks, the LaGrange one closest to the Mississippi River has much of its concrete crumbling so it doesn’t take an engineer to notice the dire need for its repair.
