Two additional barges have sunk and another shifted after water levels fell one foot at the McAlpine Dam Friday night, making recovery efforts unsafe.
The Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers said nine barges are currently lying on the dam, six of which have sunk. The Coast Guard plans to stage heavy-duty salvage equipment to retrieve the barges one by one.
According to officials, the towing vessel Debbie Graham, owned by the Tennessee Valley Towing Company, was carrying 15 loaded coal barges when it struck the 2nd Street Bridge around 8 p.m.
That contact caused the vessel's barges to break free. Six have been recovered and the Army Corps of Engineers reported that nine are laying on the dam just above the falls. Three barges may be capsized.
Traffic movement is currently only permitted during daylight hours and with an assist vessel, which is available pre-stationed at McAlpine Lock and Dam.
Louisville Metro Police Department and Jeffersonville Police Department reopened all lanes of the 2nd Street Bridge after shutting them down for a brief inspection Tuesday night.
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the bridge is safe for traffic.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation.