Coast Guard to close 76-mile stretch of Mississippi River after massive flooding

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday will close a 76-mile stretch of the Mississippi River roughly defined by Chester, Illinois, to the north and Billings Island, Missouri, to the south, public affairs officer Christopher Pince said.

The section of the river, between mile markers 110 and 34, would be closed later on Wednesday to all vessel traffic, Pince said, after heavy rainfall this week raised water levels to moderate and major flood stages, making navigation hazardous.

The Coast Guard on Tuesday closed a 5-mile stretch of the river near St. Louis, Missouri.

(Reporting by Michael Hirtzer; Editing by David Gregorio)