MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mayors from Mississippi River cities are calling on Congress to increase funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for infrastructure improvements and dredging projects that keep commerce flowing on the important waterway.

Leaders of the Mississippi Rivers Cities and Towns Initiative and the Delta Regional Authority addressed media Thursday after meeting in Memphis to discuss the Mississippi River economy. Thirteen mayors from Minnesota to Mississippi participated in the meeting, which resulted in agreements to help increase container shipping and reduce costly freight bottlenecks.