Mississippi Lock Could Reopen This Weekend

A Mississippi River lock undergoing repairs that have forced barge tows to use a smaller auxiliary chamber are expected to be back in service by Sunday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The 1,200-foot main chamber at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam near Alton, Ill., has been closed to navigation since Jan. 28 because of a mechanical problem with a lift gate. The unscheduled repairs slowed barge traffic and created a traffic backlog.