U.S. Gulf: Bayou Sorrel Lock delays were quoted at an average five hours for the week.
Industrial Lock is closed through Dec. 5 for dewatering, repairs, and maintenance, and the Corps has established a detour into the West Canal from the Mississippi River via Bayou Baptiste Collette and the Chandeleur Sound. Shippers have reported significant transit delays resulting from the closure.
West Canal navigation was unavailable during daylight hours at the Galveston Railroad Bridge (Mile 357). Dredging and debris removal underway at the site is being conducted 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on a 12-days on, two-days off schedule, with work slated to continue through January. Overnight transit was unaffected by the project.
The Brazos Floodgates were closed to daytime transit on Oct. 12-19, shippers noted. Dredging and maintenance operations at both the east and west guide walls pushed wait times to an estimated 3-5 hours.
Lower Mississippi River: Vessels were asked to proceed at their “slowest safe speed” through the Lake Providence area, where dike work is in progress through at least mid-February 2017.
Upper Mississippi River: Elevated river levels triggered southbound transit restrictions on the Upper Mississippi River. Tows were capped at nine barges between St. Paul and Redwing, Minn. Towing limits were increased to 12 barges from Redwing to Davenport, Iowa, and further expanded to 15 barges south of Davenport. Boats were limited to daytime running between Cape Girardeau and Cairo due to high flows and missing buoys.
Water levels at Hannibal, Mo., dropped below the 14-foot action stage on Oct. 18, reading 13.84 feet and receding slowly on Oct. 19. The gauge was forecast to settle at 12.4 feet in the week ahead.
Dredging in the Upper Chain of Rocks Canal was expected to limit overnight navigation through the canal on Oct. 17-22. The work was scheduled to run 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Locks 17 and 22 were scheduled for dive operations on Oct. 25-26, closing the locks to daylight transit.
Ohio River: Shippers reported Lock 52 delays in the 5-8 hour range. Delays attributed to stuck or missing wickets have been noted continuously since early September. Lock 53 did not operate last week, allowing vessels to pass freely. Waits were noted up to three hours.
Montgomery Lock main chamber work scheduled through Nov. 17 created three-hour average delays, shippers said. Main chamber use was available during overnight hours, subject to an 80-foot width restriction. Daytime transit was limited to single-barge lockings via the auxiliary chamber, although the Corps has issued plans to open the main chamber on Oct. 29-30 to clear queued traffic.
The R.C. Byrd Lock auxiliary chamber is closed Oct. 3 through Dec. 9 for repairs.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky lock returned to service on Oct. 13, but sporadic service interruptions were due to resume Oct. 19 to facilitate upstream guide wall repairs. The Corps warned of intermittent shutdowns lasting through Nov. 19, and recommended Barkley Canal as an alternate route.
The Monongahela River’s Braddock Lock and Dam continued to operate without the use of its river chamber. A mechanical failure has pushed vessels to use the land chamber in its place.
Allegheny River navigation remained blocked at Lock 6 last week. A hydraulic leak and resulting mechanical failure have closed the lock indefinitely.