urbanSTL

What was Doe Run is now becoming the Port of Herculaneum. The site is being converted from a shipping-out point for locally produced commodities into a true harbor for goods going in and out. The basic infrastructure needs, as I understand them, will be to (1) transfer containers on and off ships, (2) transfer containers across other modes of transport, such as trucks, (3) retaining cargo containers on site, and (4) maintaining cargo vessels, including refueling via LNG. They're going to have to be able to have docked at least two vessels at a time, the primary long-haul vessel that goes between Herculaneum and Plaquemines, and the mid-haul vessels that'll go from Herculaneum to the STL area. The existing capacities at the site make it ideal for harbor conversion. 

Meanwhile, the leadership of the STL Regional Freightway are incredibly professional and accomplishing great things for the region, even as they receive comparably little credit or praise. Much is deserved. I also know the Director of the Port Authority in Jefferson County, and I'm glad to say they're under sound leadership. 

I've put this in the "Hyperloop/TransitX" bucket but this is looking like more of a real possibility. If so, it would be great!
I just wish it was closer to downtown. Like being at the Arch ground and staring across to a busy, giant container port with cranes and all.

Is that due to bridge height?  

It is reasonable to anticipate STL becoming a significant continental hub for logistics management. Should APH’s plans come together, we should have thousands of additional cargo containers being moved through the STL region weekly compared to what we have now, which is already a significant amount when including rail and road networks. It cannot be overstated that the potential to offer cost savings of 30-40% would fundamentally change how imports and exports are shipped across much of the US and even Canada.
 
This inflow of cargo movement could lead to multiple specific outcomes, including:
· Increased rail traffic through our six Class I railroad hubs, shipping these cargo containers to their final destinations across the country. There is potential for the STL rail networks to see significant enough new gross traffic to compete with Chicago for volume.
· Construction of multiple warehouses for the storage of these goods. They would service both US goods meant for export and what we receive as imports, everything from clothing to high end manufacturing. Warehouse developments like what can be found at I-255/I-270 near Edwardsville and along I-370 near St. Peters could become more commonplace. I can see significant developments in the near East Side along I-255, such as Dupo.
· Expansion of the Port of St. Louis and America’s Central Port in Granite City, including the addition of cargo cranes, to welcome and service the mid-sized cargo vessels.
· New manufacturing operations locating in the STL region for proximity to this new shipping hub, from parts & pieces of components to finished goods ready for export.
· Professional logistics management companies increasing their operations in STL, perhaps setting up their offices in Downtown.
· Very significant economic development in Jefferson County as Herculaneum becomes the primary hub for the STL region.
· Thousands of new jobs across the region.
 
Regarding why the biggest vessels would go to Herculaneum and the mid-sized ones coming to STL, I’ve heard it’s all about bridge height. When the river runs high, it won’t be possible to run the largest vessels any further north than Herculaneum because they wouldn’t be able to cross under the Jefferson Barracks Bridge in South County.

KansasCitian: Advocacy for STL's growth in shipping and logistics is centered upon the St. Louis Regional Freightway. They've led the charge to make sure the region has the capacities to draw new business and handle their growth. Their efforts to lead the fundamental redevelopment the Merchants Bridge, as a private-public partnership after the project was denied Federal funding, has been remarkable and absolutely essential to keeping the region a major national rail hub. As a part of Bi-State, they're leading the efforts to fully meet all of STL's logistic needs (like redoing I-270 in North County). Otherwise, worrying about the region being at capacity for total shipping efficacy is a problem we should all hope to have some day. Should that ever happen, the simple answer is to either build more rail and highways or increase capacities at what we already have. 

Dredger: You're right, everyone's jumping after logistics hubs and spending monies on them. I'd say APH's advantages are lower costs, new technologies, and the catchment area of the country's geographic center. Consider that the smaller vessels APH has designed are meant to go through the locks & dams. This will connect the Mississippi River to other national river networks, including the Missouri (Kansas City, Jefferson City, Omaha, Sioux City, even the Dakotas and Montana), the Illinois (Peoria, the exurbs of Chicago near Joliet), and the Ohio (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, and parts of both Indiana and West Virginia meeting at Cairo IL). Hypothetically, if steel made in Pittsburgh bound for Asian markets can be shipped via APH's vessels down the Ohio River to the Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, at costs less than shipping it via rail or truck to an Atlantic port, then they'll go with APH down the less expensive route. We'll just have to wait and see what's the more affordable option; whatever it is will win.