Maritime Activity Under the Radar

With about 30,000 vehicles passing daily over the Illinois Waterway via five bridges in the Peoria-Pekin area, one might think that the ongoing movement of river barges would be etched on our collective regional consciousness. Diesel-powered towboats pushing as many as 15 barges at a time are almost constantly in view on the Illinois, and their spectacle is especially impressive during the winter months, as the lash-ups plow through the ice floes lining the narrow channel. Yet most residents pay little heed to the local significance of maritime activity, perhaps assuming that the business is “just passing through” en route to some faraway place where somebody will unload whatever mysterious goods are sealed in those floating warehouses. [FULL STORY]