KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Barge traffic is making a slow but steady comeback on the Missouri River, although proponents acknowledge the industry is still swimming upstream against a perception that the river is not reliable enough to be a profitable transportation corridor.

Some private barge and tow companies never stopped using the river. But public ports along the 760-mile span from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis virtually disappeared by the early 2000s due to a combination of drought, recession and political infighting. Improved conditions allowed Port KC to reopen the first public port on the Missouri River since 2007 and a public port about an hour north in St. Joseph is undergoing renovations.

Proponents of the ports say barge shipping is cheaper, more environmentally friendly and eases stress on the nation’s highways and rail transportation systems.