Ice breaks, Dorena-Hickman Ferry reopens

HICKMAN, Ky. -- Ice has thinned enough on the Mississippi River to allow the Dorena-Hickman Ferry to reopen.

Officials restarted the ferry between Kentucky and Missouri on Saturday morning after shutting it down a day earlier because of ice on the waterway.

Ice on the river has been a problem in recent weeks, with the ferry going out of service for 10 days because of freezing rain and sleet, followed by a blast of extreme cold that kept ferry landings covered in ice.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry connects KY 1354 at Hickman, Ky., with Missouri Route A and Route 77 near Dorena, Mo.

Missouri and Kentucky have the distinction of being the only border states not directly connected by a road. The ferry is the only direct route between the two states.