Photo: Getty Images
(From our news partner KWQC-TV 6) The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District has temporarily closed the main channel of the Mississippi River at river mile 425.7 in Pool 18 near Keithsburg to move dredged material from Willow Bar Island to the Iowa shore. The closure is anticipated to last three weeks and will impact navigation, according to a media release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The good news is, recreational boats WILL be permitted to pass up or down the river...but only during two designated times. The dredging crew will break the pipeline apart to allow for safe navigation from 11:30 a.m. to noon and from 4:30 to 5 p.m. daily, according to the release.
Recreational boaters will also be permitted to pass after a commercial vessel has navigated the area and before the pipeline has been reconnected. Outside of these times, boaters are asked to avoid the pipeline area and be mindful of other vessels which may be stopped by the closure.
Happy boating...kind of......