The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul District launched its new maintenance and repair towboat, Fountain City, Aug. 26 at Steiner Construction Co. Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala.
The vessel will support the district’s maintenance and repair section by moving floating plants and other equipment along the Upper Mississippi River. It will be based at the Corps’ Fountain City Service Base in Fountain City, Wis.
Construction will continue following the launch, with the shipyard scheduled to install the engines, finish the interior, add navigation systems and conduct testing. Government acceptance is expected Oct. 13.
“This new towboat is very important to our mission and crew who keep the river system running,” Kristin Moe, navigation chief, said in a statement. “It’s a source of pride for our team. It represents a major step forward in modernization and safety, giving our crews a state-of-the-art, reliable platform to do their jobs.”
The towboat will accommodate as many as eight crewmembers in six staterooms. Other features include a full galley, crew lounge, four toilets, four showers and onboard laundry facilities.
The new Fountain City will replace a towboat of the same name that was more than 50 years old when the Corps determined it was no longer serviceable.
The Corps said in a statement that it awarded TAI Holdings Inc., Pensacola, Fla., a $13.9 million contract for the vessel. The project uses an existing inland river towboat design modified to meet the district’s safety and operational requirements.
The Fountain City Service Base has supported the Corps’ Upper Mississippi River navigation work for more than a century. The facility constructs, repairs and maintains vessels and equipment used for river improvement projects.
