JACKSON, Mississippi - The Coast Guard is reopening a part of the swollen Mississippi that had been closed to help reduce the damage from the floodwaters.

Floodwaters surround the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot in Vicksburg, Mississippi May 17, 2011.  [Photo/Agencies]

The Coast Guard said Tuesday night that one two vessel at a time would be allowed to pass a 15-mile (24-kilometer) area near Natchez, Mississippi, which is north of New Orleans.

The closure had halted cargo vessels on the nation's busiest waterway, blocking vessels heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and others trying to return north after dropping off their freight.