Thanks to an agreement between the Army Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD), and the Red River Waterway Commission (RRWC), a new study will investigate deepening the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway to accommodate vessels with 12-foot drafts.
The groups joined together on a feasibility cost sharing agreement earlier this month, to see what they can do for the major regional transportation and economic hub. Currently, the waterway’s channel is just 9 feet, though connecting water routes maintain depths of 12 feet. The partners believe that getting both to 12 feet could help significantly enhance cargo capacity among local barges.
Local efforts like this by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are situated under the Vicksburg District, which encompasses parts of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. Where the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway is concerned, its local sponsor is the Red River Waterway Commission, which is itself a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana.