NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says delays of barge traffic have run about 10 hours since the Corps began closing a three-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from dawn to dusk to reinforce the river bank between Memphis, Tennessee and Greenville, Mississippi.
The Corps and a spokesman for a trade association — the Waterways Council Inc. — said Sunday they are discussing the situation daily.
The Corps said backups of barge traffic that occurred during the first days of the closure were cleared overnight Friday and Saturday. The Corps also said Sunday it has agreed to delay repair work each morning if necessary to accommodate tows that don’t clear the work area overnight.
Still, Waterways Council spokesman Mike Toohey says the delays are costly.