Mississippi River reopens after damaged bridge caused shutdown

The U.S. Coast Guard said the Mississippi River reopened on Friday after a large crack in a bridge near Memphis, Tennessee, forced authorities to shut down traffic on the river Thursday, according to Reuters.

Why it matters: The shutdown of the vital waterway caused a backlog of more than 1,000 barges carrying shipments of oil and corn, and it came as certain crop prices were at their highest in more than eight years.

Go deeper: The Suez Canal is clear, but shipping is still broken