MARINETTE, Wis. — In preparation for a private ship launch at Fincantieri Marinette Marine this Saturday, ice breaking operations on the Menominee River will commence today.

Ice breaking will be conducted by private contractors on tug boats in order to allow the ship to launch safely and accommodate ship movements. The area of river affected will be from the U.S.41 bridge downriver to the Ogden Street Bridge. Ice breaking operations will terminate on Sunday.

Ice conditions on the river will be unstable; therefore, the public should not attempt to walk on the ice. Due to unusually high water levels, spectators on the Menominee side of the river should exercise caution when the boat is launched as the resulting wave could sweep that side of the river bank.