Sunken tugboat pulled from river bottom; Mississippi River reopens to barge and ship traffic

NEW ORLEANS – An arduous, five-day effort to locate a tugboat and bring it to the surface after it sank in the Mississippi River, interrupting the flow of traffic and commerce for days, has finally come to an end.

Crews pulled the sunken 47-foot-long towing vessel from the river and reopened traffic in both directions Wednesday.

The tug sank Saturday, and the river was closed as authorities searched for the tug and made sure it didn't pose a navigation hazard.

Some vessels anchored and waited out the weekend closure. Others, including a cruise ship bound for New Orleans, were re-routed.