100 BOATS, 3,000 BARGES SIT UNTIL RIVER OPENS AT CAIRO

CAIRO, Ill. -- Barge tows keep piling up at Cairo, waiting for a northern opening on the Mississippi River.

"We have 101 boats and probably 3,000 barges waiting here to go north," said Rick Dillon, a dispatcher with CBG Waterfront at Cairo. "We have them parked everywhere, from Wickliffe, Ky., north to Mound City."

River traffic is moving along the Ohio River, and on the Mississippi River south of Cairo.

With the Mississippi River slowly falling, the Coast Guard will be making some test runs today.

"They were supposed to start the test runs early Sunday morning," Dillon said. "It'll take a while for them to make any determinations, but we hope to receive some reports from them Monday or Tuesday."

The Ohio River at Cairo, which crested at more than 55 feet, has dropped to 47.4 feet. Meanwhile, the Mississippi River has dropped to 41.6 feet at Cape Girardeau.

Barges have been stacking up at Cairo and at the St. Louis harbor since May 24, when the Mississippi River was closed.

"There are probably 75 to 80 tows waiting in St. Louis for the trip south," Dillon said.

The Mississippi River will be crowded once traffic resumes on the stretch between Cairo and St. Louis.

Even when barge traffic resumes, many barges will be stranded for a while longer, or forced to move very slowly. it will take time for the towboats and barges to make their way through.

Barge traffic started moving from St. Louis north last week.

Corn, soybeans and other crops are the barge industry's main cargo.

Barges heading upstream typically carry fertilizer to farmers, coal to utility companies and petroleum to refineries. Besides corn and soybeans from last year's harvest, downstream barge traffic carries chemicals, iron ore, scrap steel and salt.

Meanwhile, with both major rivers falling, most roads are now passable.

The Cairo Police Department reported that Highway 51, from Cairo to Wickliffe, Ky., has reopened.

The Alexander County Sheriff's Department reported that roads in the Miller City-Olive Branch, Ill., area were now open.

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department reported some roads remain closed in Cape County, including Highway 177 north of Cape Girardeau. However, Highways 74 and 25 south of Cape Girardeau are open.