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Updated: 7:02 PM Feb 2, 2010
Slow Ohio River Traffic Means Big Business for Some
The slowdown on the Ohio River from the broken gate at the Greenup Lock isn't bad news for everyone.
Posted: 6:40 PM Feb 2, 2010Reporter: Carrie Cline Email Address: carrie.cline@wsaz.com |
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ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- When the temperature dips, you don't expect much traffic on the river -- but after a two day closure and now re-opening of an auxiliary gate at the Greenup Lock -- barge traffic is now 25 deep.
For every boat you see parked, imagine thousands of dollars an hour flying out the window, time wasted and business lost.
Jack Stephens makes part of his living on the Ohio River -- delivering groceries to boats normally so busy they only have time to pause and receive their shipment before speeding off. Things have changed drastically, though, since the main gate broke at the Greenup Lock. Now, it's a whole new ballgame, bad news for the barge company, but good news for Stephens.
"Business has been very good," he said. "We’ve been averaging about 13 to 14 boats per week. We used to do nine to 10, so we’re getting about four to five more per week at an average bill of $1,000 per order."
One towboat, the "Toutant," had been sitting in that same place for 36 hours with no sign of going anywhere anytime soon.
"When you look at the list, you see that it’s 12th in line, so they probably won’t go through the lock until tomorrow," Stephens said.
They're making a list and checking it twice, loading up the groceries and pulling out the boat navigating what's turned into a parking lot where the barge companies are hoping for a quick fix.
Stephens owns Jack's Cardinal Market in South Ashland, Ky. His business has increased 33 percent since the lock breakdown. The Army Corps of Engineers expects the lock repair to take six to eight weeks.
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