KYLIE WALKER PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 TIME NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S ASK KELLY SEGMENT IN TODAY’S QUESTION COMES FROM DAN GEORGE OF SOUTH PARK AND HE IS ASKING ABOUT THE BARGES THAT WE ALWAYS SEE AND OUR ACTION CAM SHOTS. ARE THEY CARRYING MATERIALS TO BE PROCESSED OR TAKING FINISHED GOODS AWAY FROM BEING PROCESSED WHO OWNS THE BARGES? WHY DO THEY PARK ALONG THE RIVER THERE? THANKS VERY MUCH KELLY. WELL, DAN, WE GOT WITH THE EXPERTS OVER AT PORT OF PITTSBURGH COMMISSION TO FIND OUT. BARGES MOVE SLOW IT IS EASY TO UNDERESTIMATE THEM BUT SPEED UP THE FOOTAGE AND YOU SEE THIS WHOLE ECOSYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION. IT’S REALLY A LITTLE MARINE HIGHWAY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT PITTSBURGH IS THE START OF THE MARINE HIGHWAY THAT RUNS 11,000 MILES PITTSBURGH IS MOUSERO AT THE MOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER AND GOES TO CAIRO ILLINOIS COMES TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER SO YOU CAN GO FROM HERE TO NEW ORLEANS. THE ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE MEMPHIS, CHICAGO, OKLAHOMA? MINNEAPOLIS AND IT’S A BUSY ROAD IN 2020 PORT OF PITTSBURGH SAYS IN OUR 10 COUNTY REGION ALMOST 16 MILLION TONS OF FREIGHT WAS MOVED OF THAT ABOUT 49% WERE COMMODITIES RECEIVED FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA 33% WERE COMMODITIES SHIPPED OUT OF THE AREA AND 18% WERE COMMODITIES SHIPPED PORT TO PORT WITHIN THE PITTSBURGH. AS FAR AS WHAT IS MOVING ALONG OUR RIVERS THE TOP THREE CATEGORIES OF FREIGHT ARE COAL CRUDE MATERIALS AND PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS JUST IN OUR REGION. THERE ARE UPWARDS OF 30 PORTS WHERE BARGES CAN BE LOADED OR UNLOADED THE DOC. YOU SEE HERE IN THE ACTION CAM SHOP BELONGS TO CAMPBELL TRANSPORTATION COMPANY THAT CREW WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BRING US ON BOARD ONE OF THEIR TOW BOATS FOR A LOOK AROUND. IT’S NICE TYPICALLY IT IS A BEDROOM. THIS BOAT STAYS LOCAL THE CREW GOES HOME EVERY NIGHT, BUT MANY TOWBOAT CREWS LIVE ON THEIR BOAT FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. IT’S DEFINITELY TAKES A CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON TO WANT TO DO THIS JOB THE CREW SHOWS US THE SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY THEY USE TO STAY ON COURSE THIS MORNING. IT WAS REAL FOGGY. I MEAN SHUT OFF ALL SO WHEN YOU’RE DOING THAT YOU HAVE TO BLOW YOUR WHISTLE LIKE EVERY TWO MINUTES. AND THEN YOU RUN OFF OF THIS, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT’LL BE IN THE THERE AND ANYTHING THAT THAT’S GREEN YOU HAVE TO AVOID. BY SENDING MATERIAL DOWN THE RIVER COMPANIES ARE CUTTING DOWN ON TRUCK TRAFFIC A SINGLE BARGE CAN HOLD AS MUCH FREIGHT AS 72 TRACTOR TRAILERS. SO THIS GROUPING WE PASSED RIGHT HERE IN THE OHIO RIVER THAT’S OVER 720 TRUCKS THAT YOU’RE TAKING OFF THE ROAD. THAT’S TOO BAD SOMETHING ELSE. I FOUND PRETTY INTERESTING WITHOUT LOCKS AND DAMS PORT OF PIT TOLD ME WE WOULD LIKELY BE WALKING ACROSS THE IOWA RIVER IF THESE LOCKS AND DMS WERE IN PLACE THE OHIO RIVER IF YOU HAD A DROUGHT WOULD BE ABOUT 18 INCHES AND YOU COULD WALK ACROSS IT. CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT BARGES NEED A RIVER DEPTH OF NINE AND A HALF FEET THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS CAREFULLY CRAFTED PITTSBURGH’S LOCK AND DAM SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN THAT DEPTH THE SYSTEM WORKS LIKE AN ELEVATOR TO RAISE AND LOWER THE BARGES AND ALL OTHER WATERCRAFT IN A BIG SOURCE OF THE FUNDING FOR LOCK AND DAM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THEY TOLD ME ARE THE BARGE COMPANIES IF THERE’S QUESTION I CAN GET ANSWERED FOR YOU. LET ME KNOW YOU CAN LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE AT THE NUMBER YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN 412-244-4610 OR YOU CAN JUMP STRAIGHT IN AND SEND ME A VIDEO MESSAGE. YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ME AT FACEBO