Saturday rainfall raises river levels to allow the ferry to resume operation

Hickman, Ky.—The Dorena-Hickman Ferry has resumed service.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry has been closed since June 10 due to low water on the Mississippi River.

The Cairo gauge was at 12.69 ft. when the ferry was forced to halt service.  The gauge dropped as low as 10.2 ft.   Widespread thunderstorms that moved through the region on Saturday caused the river to rise to 13.9 ft. this morning.

The National Weather Service (NWS) indicates a 60 percent chance of showers today with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and tonight that could provide additional rainfall to keep the ferry operating.

That rise allowed the ferry to resume service at 7 a.m. today.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry is open and operating on the summer schedule.

Motorists may check on the ferry’s operating status by calling (731) 693-0210 or by going to https://www.facebook.com/DorenaHickmanFerry/.

To get traffic advisories and alerts about the ferry’s operating status via email go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/KYTC/signup/13651 and click on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry Corridor Group.  You may also sign up for counties in Kentucky you regularly drive through or on any of the other specialty corridors you travel.  Be sure to check your SPAM filtering to assure Gov Delivery is on your approved list.

As a reminder, the Dorena-Hickman Ferry is temporarily operating on a limited 5-day-a-week schedule.   The ferry is operating Thursday through Monday, but will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday until the ferry can hire an additional pilot with a passenger endorsed license.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry connects KY 1354 at Hickman, Kentucky, with Missouri Route A and Route 77 near Dorena, Missouri.

In addition to providing a critical transportation link between Kentucky and Missouri for daily commuters and farmers, the ferry serves as a tourist attraction for the region and provides a convenient route between Southeast Missouri and the popular fishing and recreation areas around nearby Reelfoot Lake in Northwest Tennessee.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry Operates from the Hickman Landing with regular river crossings during daylight hours. The toll for passenger vehicles is $20 with additional tolls for trucks, motor homes, and vehicles pulling trailers. There are discounts for vehicles making return crossings.  A complete fare list is available via the ferry Facebook page listed above..

Missouri and Kentucky have the geographic distinction of being the only border states that are not directly connected by a road or bridge. The only direct route between the two states is the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry operates at Mississippi River navigation mile point 922.0.