Within the United States, it is suggested that water-based transportation might have a role in regional distribution of movement of freight products, such as oil. Research the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and explain how such a resource might distribute freight more economically than road transport. Also, explain the limitations of the current waterway.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile long waterway
extending from Boston, MA, to Brownsville, TX. The waterway links together
rivers, inlets, bays, and man-made canals. Originally authorized by Congress
in 1919, this patchwork of waterways provides a means of navigating along
the eastern seaboard of the contiguous United States without having
to venture into the Atlantic. The current waterway comprises two major
sections: the Atlantic and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways. They were to be
linked by a canal built across Florida, but this was never completed.
The waterway is built to a depth of 12 feet, not guaranteed for its entire
length. The northern sections of the Atlantic section are used for freight
traffi c, but the southern parts tend to be used by recreation boaters. The
Gulf section is heavily used by barge traffi c for transporting goods to and
from the major oceangoing ports. Hopes and plans are to increase the usage
of the waterways for commercial purposes but it looks unlikely to happen.