	midmississippi river opens today for season the mississippi river is now open for barge traffic up to the twin cities in minnesota after repairs were completed and the first barges moved upstream through lock and dam near quincy ill at cst today an army corps of engineers spokesman said about to inches of ice were reported between locks three and four on the upper mississippi river but other sections were generally free of ice the spokesman said midwestern weather has been so mild that barges probably could have kept loading at mid mississippi river terminals through the winter if lock and dam had not been scheduled for repairs he said the peoria and la grange locks on the illinois river are still scheduled to close july for two months of repairs reuter 
