With 12 inland ports and increasing biofuel production, Missouri can increase its use and capacity of freight traffic on the state’s waterways.

That’s the finding of software developed for the Missouri Department of Transportation by Scott Grasman, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering. Scores for proposed improvement projects are based on a variety of factors, including the impact on the economy and existing operations, urgency of need and available funding. The program will allow MoDOT to assess future projects involving the state’s waterways as well as other modes of transportation, such as trucking and railways.

“MoDOT has a limited amount of resources, so they have to determine which projects will have the greatest impact,” Grasman says. “We’ve looked at what Missouri has to offer in terms of waterways and freight.”

Grasman is being assisted on the project by Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and graduate student Pranav Akolkar.