Miss. River partly reopens at Baton Rouge, La.
Published 1:46 am Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Coast Guard is allowing some vessels to pass through a stretch of the Mississippi River in Louisiana that had been closed since an accident on the swollen waterway Friday.
Petty Officer Stephen Lehmann said the Coast Guard allowed northbound traffic on the river to resume Monday. Southbound barges and other vessels will be allowed to travel down the river once the northbound backup is cleared.
The Coast Guard is reviewing a plan to remove the three barges that sank Friday.
Archer Daniels Midland Co., which owns the barges, has submitted a plan for salvaging the wreckage. They were part of a 20-barge tow that was being pushed downriver amid high water and fast currents that have made navigation difficult. One of the barges struck a dock. Two struck a bridge.