Vicksburg (Port)

Latest news

Miss. River closes to ships at Vicksburg after barge hits bridge

Experts say the stretch of Mississippi River where vessel traffic was halted after a barge hit a railroad bridge on Sunday, Jan 27, 2013 is one of the most dangerous along the 2,500-mile-long river. Late Monday, cleanup crews were skimming oily water near Vicksburg, a day after a barge struck a bridge, rupturing a compartment holding 80,000 gallons of oil. Authorities said that the oil was being contained and there was no evidence of it washing ashore downriver. Orange boom was stretched across part of the river downstream from the barge, and small boats patrolled the area as oil was pumped from the ruptured tank into another tank on the same barge. Officials hope to eventually transfer all the oil to another barge. Tugs were holding the barge at the bank on the Louisiana side of the river, directly across from Vicksburg's Riverwalk and Lady Luck casinos. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Ryan Gomez said a tug was pushing two tank barges when the collision occurred about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Both barges were damaged, but only one leaked. Authorities declared the bridge safe after an inspection. http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/apArticle/id/DA43HQ2G3/