Mississippi River Waiting Game

I took the above picture at the Mississippi Welcome Center of three northbound towboats/barges hugging up against the west bank of the MS River waiting for word from the U.S. Coast Guard to continue their journeys.  The Coast Guard shut down the MS River to all barge traffic late Thursday after the 5th southbound tow hit the old U.S. 80 bridge in Vicksburg and a tow at the Natchez-Vidalia U.S. 84 bridge Thursday afternoon.  

This is the first time I have been this close to a towboat/barges that were waiting on the east side of the bank at Riverwalk Casino yesterday evening. All towboats are on standby for clearance to resume their trips upriver. The MS River remains closed to southbound traffic. The river is open to northbound traffic, but only tows carrying dry cargo are allowed to transit through Vicksburg.

Pictures taken from the parking lot of Riverwalk Casino.

"If you come look at the river and the tows that are holding up north of the bridge now, it looks like New York Harbor."  Austin Golding/Golding Barge