One of two barges that sank during a string of accidents at the U.S. 80 bridge this spring was raised from the Mississippi River Tuesday and taken to the Port of Vicksburg for inspection, while some barge restrictions were lifted on river traffic.

A Big River Shipyard and Salvage crew of four worked roughly 14 hours to lift the barge. High water had kept the salvage company from raising it for more than two months, and no plans have been made on when a second will be salvaged.

The falling river left part of the barge emerging from the river, where it sat on a flat on the western bank, out of the navigation channel. Big River Project Manager Hugh Smith said no divers were needed in the salvage effort, which made it easier and safer. Instead, pumps were used to remove water from the tanks that surround the cargo box of the barge, allowing the barge to float.

“We had some success with that and were able to achieve enough buoyancy to bring it back to the port last night,” Smith said this morning. “The owners of the barge will have some time now to inspect it and decide if they want to scrap it or salvage it.”

The grain-loaded barge sank on March 26, one of 10 that scattered following an accident in which the AEP River Operations-owned MV Keith Darling struck Pier 4. The tow was pushing 30 barges south when it hit the pier at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, towboats pushing barges may once again pass beneath the bridges at Vicksburg at any time of the day. The Coast Guard lifted a restriction requiring southbound tows to pass beneath the bridges only during day time hours and northbound tows to pass during the night. However, southbound tows must still have a minimum of 280 horsepower per barge pushed.

The restrictions have been in place since early April. Four barge accidents occurred at the U.S. 80 bridge in a 12-day period beginning March 26.

Big River is also contracted to raise a barge that sank on March 31, and is believed to be loaded with coiled steel. It is out of the navigation channel in the river off Rainbow Casino, south of the bridges. Smith said he did not know when the salvage effort on that barge would begin.

The river topped flood stage of 43 feet at Vicksburg on March 29, and crested at 50.9 feet on April 19. It was the highest recorded river stage at the city since 1973, when the river crested at 51.6 feet.