Mississippi River Reopens

The U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers has given the all-clear for boat traffic at the I-35W bridge collapse site. Boats of all shapes and sizes can return to parts of the river that had been off-limits for two months. For the past few weeks, barges were allowed through the area on a limited schedule. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did a sweep of the river bottom and found no obstacles or debris that could damage boats. So the locks and dams in that area are now open to pleasure cruises and recreation boats. Even though investigators removed most of the debris from the water, you can still see large pieces of the bridge by the shore. Authorities are asking boaters to stay away from these areas. The Coast Guard and Minneapolis Police are patrolling near there to make sure everyone is safe. Source: http://www.kare11.com]