b'28American Journal ofTransportation ajot.cominches) in 16 berths. The port also has two dedicated barge berths with drafts more than 18-feet.PortMilwaukeeisthenorthernmostLake MichiganportapprovedtoservetheMississippi River inland waterway system with direct river barge access to the Illinois River. This is a vital connection between U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes region.Tindall-SchlichtindicatesthatMilwaukeeis Wisconsins second-largest port, trailing only Duluth-Superior. He describes it as a consistently performing medium-sized Great Lakes port. The Great Lakes has 100 ports lining Canadian and U.S. shores.From 2018 to 2019, the ports tonnage grew 11 percent. Even through the Covid pandemic of 2019-2020, Port Milwaukees business grew five percent. Several cruise companies now call on Milwaukee, with the turnaround in passenger service ramping up in 2019 In 2020 Milwaukee enjoyed almost 2.5 million tons of cargo. That volume was maintained in 2021.(PLANScontinued from page 27) National Advisory Committee, said his port pro- PortMilwaukeeisservedbytwoClassI said the port has worked in that time on a strategyvidesavaluableserviceinimportsandexportsrailroads, the Union Pacific (UP) Railway and the to implement all necessary upgrades and enhance- from Americas heartland, the largest cities in theCanadian Pacific (CP) Railway. Both UP and CP ments for Milwaukee to be the Great Lakes pre- Upper Midwest and the vast expanse of south-cen- provide direct pier delivery at all Port facilities as miere port through 2070. tral Canada.wellasnecessaryswitchingservicesdaily.Port Thislong-termstrategyistabbedtheCapital We have a strong working relationship withMilwaukeeadditionallyownsandmaintains14 AssetRenewalPlan.Theplanoutlinesthe$200an array of manufacturers and ag sector custom- milesofitsownrailtrack,providingcontinuous millioninneededinvestmentovertimetoboosters, said Tindall-Schlicht. I credit the Ports staffservice and connectivity to UP and CP.infrastructure thats been in place since the 1950s, atand stevedores for our reliable, safe, and effectivePort Milwaukee is 75 miles north of Chicago the time of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.operations.and1,021nauticalmilesfromMontreal,Quebec For the last four years weve focused on renewalMilwaukeeisadeep-waterportservingSea- with a transit time by water from Montreal of about and reinvention, looking for opportunities that willwaymax vessels (a maximum draft of 26 feet, six4.5 days.help lay the groundwork for the next generations at the port, said Tindall-Schlicht. Port Milwaukee is reinvesting for future commercial expansion, while exploring and pursuing new uses of the port. The recent push has involved some demolition offacilitiesthatwereunderutilizedfor20years and using that real estate to be more efficient with flexible new developments, including the DeLong terminal.B uildingB usiness AtP ortM ilwAukeeThere has been very successful push to boost steel and passenger trade. In2022Milwaukeehasseena42percent increase over last year in European steel imports.Furthermorein2022,Tindall-Schlichtsaid, cruiseshipbusinessexplodedforMilwaukee. Thecategoryisntnew:Milwaukeehasferried passengers and vehicles on high-speed vessels to/from Muskegon, MI, for almost 20 years.But in 2018, Milwaukee handled less than 1,000 passengers on international cruise ships. Several cruise companies now call on Milwaukee, with the turnaround in passenger service ramping up in 2019, with a jump to 3,300. In 2022, Viking Cruise Lines started plying the Great Lakes, with Milwaukee being an important hub. Between May and October this year, the port expects to see 10,000 cruisevisitorsonViking,PearlSeas,andother cruise lines. Nextyear,Milwaukeewillbetheterminus ofaremarkablecruiseembarkingfromBuenos Aires, Argentina, with stops in Antarctica and then up South Americas Pacific Coast to Panama and touring the Atlantic coast before running up the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes. r esilienceTindall-Schlicht,whogrewup10minutes away from the port, but worked for U.S. DOT in Washington,D.C.,beforereturninghome,speaks of the importance of resilience to Port Milwaukee. The greatest example is the ports recovery from a once-in-a-lifetimestormwhichstruckJan.10-11, 2020. Storm surge across Lake Michigan pushed six feet of icy water over 70 percent of Port Milwaukee. The director indicates the port suffered $2 million inHARNESS THE GLOBAL POWER OF A GREAT LAKES PORT.damage overnight. With a huge push, reconstruction of the port was 95% complete within two years.Regional, national and international logisticians count on Port Milwaukee for a turnkey approach P ortM ilwAukee By then uMBers to solve their transportation and supply chain needs. Strategically located in the industrial center Milwaukee averages handling 2.5 million tonsof the U.S., Port Milwaukee provides premier access to domestic and world markets.ofcargoperyear.Theportssweetspotisa specialty serving as a premiere distribution hub forVISIT PORTMILWAUKEE.COM . PORT @ MILWAUKEE.GOVbulk and break bulk, the director indicates.Among the strengths is importing roadside salt, which is highly valued in the wintertime by many states of the Upper Midwest.Tindall-Schlicht,whoinJune2022was appointed to the Maritime Transportation System'