Beardstown, IL – Earth-moving has begun for the new American Inland Port to be built near Beardstown on the Illinois River.
Cass County Economic Development Coordinator Steve Twaddle says steel piers could start going in within a couple of weeks.
Twaddle says two factors are expected to help the rapid growth of the port. One is that the Illinois River is open more of the year than the Mississippi. The other is that Hurricane Katrina destroyed some of the southern railroad infrastructure.
He says that's not likely to be re-built quickly. That will encourage sending cargo containers north along the Illinois River for dropshipment to the central Illinois region.
Twaddle says keeping the containers on barges as long as possible will cut delivery costs, especially as fuel prices continue to increase.