U.S. Gulf/River: Shippers were monitoring a system of showers and thunderstorms located roughly 600 miles east of the Caribbean, and expected the system to move westward over the next five days. Meteorologists gave the system a 20 percent chance of developing into a named storm.
On the Mississippi River, the last day for New Orleans-departing barges destined for points between Quincy, Ill., and Clinton, Iowa, is Oct. 21. Locks 12 and 13 will close for the navigation season Dec. 15, while Lock and Dam 5A will cease operations for the season on Dec. 8. The final day to pass through Lock 20 is Jan. 5, 2015. The locks are slated to reopen in March 2015.
Auxiliary chamber closures scheduled through Nov. 21 at the Ohio River’s Newburg Lock prompted navigation delays of 10-12 hours. The return of favorable river levels caused wickets to be lowered at Lock 52, with no delays reported as a result. Waits of about an hour were experienced at Willow Island, Belleville, Winfield Lock, R.C. Byrd Lock, Greenup, and Smithland.
Ongoing high flows at Olmstead Locks and Dam Project forced a tightening of tow restrictions. In addition to the longstanding southbound limit of 15 barges or less, northbound transit was limited last week to 24 barges.
A total river closure at Morgantown Lock on the Monongahela River will be in effect through Nov. 7 while lock repairs are conducted, and a mechanical failure at Braddock Lock and Dam forced the lock’s auxiliary chamber to close until further notice.
“Major delays” are expected at Winfield Lock on the Kanawha River when main chamber repairs – slated to last upwards of three months – begin in late November or early December.
Wait times at Industrial Lock in the Gulf area lessened to 12-14 hours on the conclusion of repairs to the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. Additionally, delays were reported in the West Canal at Bayou Sorrel (10-12 hours) and Port Allen Lock (4-6 hours).