MINETA WRAPS UP FOUR-DAY TOUR OF U.S. INLAND WATERWAY SYSTEM

MINETA WRAPS UP FOUR-DAY TOUR OF U.S. INLAND WATERWAY SYSTEM    U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta finished a four-day bus tour of the country’s inland waterway transportation system on Thursday.
   The tour included stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. The DOT reviewed inland waterway issues related to safety, security, mobility and economic growth.
'    Mineta concluded his tour in St. Louis where he met with maritime leaders, where he applauded the expansion of the Tri-City Port facility located on the eastern banks of the Mississippi.
   “The rivers and intermodal transportation centers in this area are vital to the economy of our nation,” Mineta said. “Additionally, our global competitiveness depends on a safe, evironmentally sound, world-class marine transportation system.”
   When finished, the expanded Tri-City Port development project will increase the efficiency of the inland waterway system in the St. Louis metropolitan area and its link to the Lower Mississippi and Central and South America.