Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith visits Tenn-Tom Waterway

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – It could be December before shipping on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway returns to normal.

The update came Tuesday during a briefing at the Aberdeen Lock and Dam.

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith got the update from the Corps of Engineers.

An emergency channel should be complete by the second week in May.

There are 20 areas of shoaling along the river from Tishomingo County to Demopolis, Alabama.

Products are not being shipped out or into Monroe County businesses, costing thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Hyde-Smith said it’s important for her to see this work first-hand and for Congress to act.

“It is communication. You know we immediately got some emergency funds here, of course. We’ve got the dredging going on 24/7 right now. They are telling us 2-3 weeks so it’s just making sure they have all the financial tools, and that they have the contracts in place to get people here as quickly as possible to start the process,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.

To completely dredge all of the sandbars along the Tenn-Tom, it will cost about $14 million.

More than $8 million has already been approved.