Port director: Projects' timelines depend on funding and weather

Construction projects will be the main topic of discussion at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority's meeting today.

Dan Overbey, executive director of the SEMO Port, said the timeline for beginning projects often depends on funding and the weather.

Today's meeting will feature an update on repairing the bank harbor, a project delayed this summer because of frequent flooding of the Mississippi River. Overbey said the most exciting project to be discussed is dredging the harbor to remove the piled up mud and silt that can make it difficult for barges to get in and out of low water. The port has paid up to $400,000 for the work in three of the past four years, because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not have funds in its budget for the project. This year Overbey said the corps will pay for the project, which could begin in September.

Other construction projects include inspection of railroad bridges and work at the sewage lagoon, which Overbey said was part of routine maintenance.

Pertinent address:

10 Bill Bess Drive, Scott City, MO