VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - The Coast Guard is investigating how a towboat pushing 14 barges struck the Old Highway 80 Bridge in Vicksburg.
The collision happened about 3 p.m. Tuesday. No damage to the bridge was reported.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Brehaut tells The Vicksburg Post (https://bit.ly/2q9qSU7 ) 11 of the boats that got loose were corralled and pushed onto the left riverbank by 4:30 p.m.
The towboat, Graestone Express, is owned by Graestone Logistics based in Murray, Kentucky. The 14 barges were carrying either grain or coal.
The National Weather Service raised the river crest from 48 feet to 49 feet Tuesday. In January 2016, when the river crested at 50 feet, four boats collided with the bridge in a seven-day period forcing the Coast Guard to close the river to barge traffic.
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Information from: The Vicksburg Post, https://www.vicksburgpost.com
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