Ship Backlog Clearing in Mississippi Channel

The backlog of large ships that resulted after a supply vessel sank in a channel leading to the Mississippi River was nearly cleared, Coast Guard officials said.

The Coast Guard did not say how many ships were left, but said the remaining vessels should be out of the Southwest Pass by midday today.

The pass, the only route for large vessels to enter and leave the Gulf of Mexico from the river, was blocked for five days after the Lee III collided with a freighter on Feb. 21 and sank. A salvage crew moved the vessel out of the way Wednesday, allowing one-way traffic through the channel southeast of New Orleans.