Some new equipment will aid the Army Corps of Engineers with maintenance work along the Upper Mississippi. A naming ceremony for the new heavy-duty crane ship “Quad Cities” will take place in Davenport on Thursday afternoon.
Spokeswoman Sam Heilig says the old heavy lift crane could lift up to 350 tons while the Quad Cities can lift up to 500 tons. It will be the largest of its kind on the Mississippi.
“It will have the ability to service lock and dam structures along the Mississippi. While located here in the Rock Island District, it is truly a regional asset that will help beyond that area as well.”
It will be located in the Corps of Engineers project office at Lock and Dam 14 in LeClaire. Heilig says that with a crew of ten, it will work primarily in the Corps’ Rock Island District, which stretches 314 miles along the Mississippi, but will be available to other districts.
At the head of the baptism is the district commander Colonel Steven Sattinger with representatives from Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline and East Moline. Heilig says that since the crane is the main feature of the new heavy lift barge, the bottle of champagne will be broken instead of the front of the barge on the other hand.
The ceremony begins at 4:00 p.m. The tours are offered today (Thursday) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and after the ceremony until 6 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
