Duffy Extends Marine Highway 848 Miles, Spurs River Economies

Kentucky’s barge business will benefit since three of its rivers now rank among four new marine highways after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added 848 miles to the nation’s navigable waterways.

“Our nation’s many rivers and inland ports are crucial resources to moving great American products to markets across the country and around the world,” Duffy announced July 10. “Coming from the Midwest, I’ve seen firsthand how maritime dominance isn’t just about our oceans. Expanding the Marine Highway Program will strengthen the Great Lakes economy and other regional communities.”

The Maritime Administration also approved 14 new marine highway sponsors to boost the 2,345-mile-long M-90 route from the Great Lakes that links Minnesota to New York. Seven new M-90 sponsors are the state transportation departments of Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin, plus the Ports of Indiana and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority.

With the addition of the new miles, the U.S. has 27,139 miles of navigable waterways across 35 designated routes to support the nation’s freight network and maintain the supply chain. Marine highway designations enable river projects to receive government grants for development.

The U.S. Marine Highways is offering an efficient and reliable way to keep goods moving across America. With the demand for freight growing, additional waterways will continue to enhance supply chains and help secure maritime dominance. pic.twitter.com/kkZjMkFTee

— U.S. Department of Transportation (@USDOT) July 11, 2025

Positioned to increase freight transport by barge, Kentucky will now oversee three of the four new riverway designations:

• Cumberland River: 382 miles designated as the M-24 (cosponsored by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Tennessee DOT)
• Green River — 109 miles as the M-165 (sponsored by KTC)
• Big Sandy River: 20 miles as the M-23 (co-sponsored by KTC and West Virginia DOT)

A hub for manufacturing, logistics and freight transportation, Kentucky is located within a 600-mile reach of more than 60% of the U.S. population and manufacturing centers.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy designated 337 miles of the Ouachita River in Louisiana as U.S. Marine Highway 167. (Congresswoman Julia Letlow)

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) welcomed Duffy’s 337-mile, M-167 designation for the Ouachita River in northern Louisiana.

“The Ouachita River is a wonderful natural resource with vast economic potential, especially in a region built by commodities which rely on reliable modes of transportation,” Letlow said. “This designation will spur rural economic development and increase opportunities for infrastructure improvements and job creation.”

Randy Denmon, president of the Ouachita River Valley Association, said, “The designation of the Ouachita River as U.S. Marine Highway M-167 provides opportunities for public and private entities along the Ouachita River to apply for federal grants.”

This development is critical to the economy around the river basin, which needs a new management study. The last one was done more than 120 years ago. Federal dollars previously approved to pay for a new lower Mississippi River management study have been withdrawn, stopping progress.

The association stated in June the new study “will not receive any funding” through a fiscal 2025 work plan. Also, previous federal funds received during the fiscal year for the new study must be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

“A real need exists to conduct a basinwide comprehensive study to devise a plan for the development and conservation of water and land resources in Arkansas and Louisiana. A detailed study of the river, last conducted in 1902, would serve to address the many diverse social, environmental and economic needs of this important watershed,” the association noted.