GRAND TOWER, Ill — What tourists called a "once in a lifetime" event last year is happening again, but people looking to take part may have to wait a bit longer.
Tower Rock, a typically isolated rock formation in the Mississippi River around 100 miles south of St. Louis, is normally separated from the bank by the river, but low river levels in October 2022 exposed a rock walkway to the destination.
Editor's note: The above video aired during a 2022 broadcast.
This year, Mississippi River water levels are even lower earlier than the water level drop last year according to the United States Geological Survey. As of Thursday, the Mississippi River gauge height at Chester, Illinois, is -0.56 feet. The lowest river levels dropped to last year in that area was 0.17 feet on Oct. 14.
Despite the path reemerging from the river's depths, tourists aren't able to easily make the trek due to a road closure.
"County Road 460, the access road to Tower Rock Natural Area, is currently closed due to construction," the Missouri Department of Conservation's website said. "Please schedule your trip to Tower Rock at a later date."
The closure is due to gas pipeline construction in the area, Perry County Conservation Agent Chris Doran told 5 On Your Side. Crews are attempting to push the pipeline underneath the Mississippi River just north of Tower Rock.
"It's pretty [unfortunate]," Doran said. "They've got some huge equipment that is coming in and out of that roadway."
Doran said the construction equipment is constantly moving up and down the road during the work. The county road is closed due to the traffic.
There is no estimated time for when the road will reopen.
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