U.S. Gulf: Heavy fog plagued the Gulf shipping region last week. A cold front pushing across the country was expected to improve conditions on Jan. 5-6.
Shippers noted waiting times at Industrial Lock in the 10-15 hour range. Delays at Calcasieu Lock were called 3-5 hours, and Port Allen Lock transit times approached nine hours for the week.
Navigation remained limited to overnight hours at the West Canal’s Galveston Railroad Bridge (Miles 357-358). Dredging and debris removal are underway from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on a 12-days on, two-days off schedule through Jan. 15. Boats can pass without restriction on both non-work days and during overnight hours.
The Corps announced daylight-hour closures at the Brazos River Floodgates on Jan. 2-31 while repairs are made to both the east and west guide walls. Sources estimated delays at seven hours or more on Jan. 4.
Lower Mississippi River: Stack Island dike work continued to slow transits in the Lake Providence area. Originally scheduled through mid-February, some sources predicted the project would run late. Boats were requested to run at the slowest safe speed through the area while work is underway.
Upper Mississippi River: Icy conditions improved on the Upper Mississippi last week, leading to increased transit widths and navigable depth.
Lock 21 guide wall repairs underway through Feb. 28 triggered daily closures from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Vessels were free to pass during non-work hours, subject to a 70-foot width restriction. Tow haulage equipment is unavailable during the project, necessitating the use of industry self-help for entering and exiting the lock. Longer tows were required to stage barges and make multiple passes.
Upstream and downstream tow haulage system maintenance at Lock 22 will precipitate length and width restrictions on Jan. 2-24. Tentative main chamber closures are scheduled for Jan. 17-25 at both Lock 27 and Mel Price Lock. The Mel Price auxiliary chamber is expected to remain open during the shutdown.
Thebes-area rock removal is tentatively planned to begin in mid-to-late January, when Cape Girardeau, Mo., levels slip below the 15-foot mark. The gauge read 19.62 feet and rising on Jan. 4, with National Weather Service forecasts predicting a 20.0-foot crest on Jan. 5-6. Current projections put the gauge at 13.5 feet on Jan. 18. Shippers warned of daylight-hour navigation restrictions and slowdowns in the area once work begins.
Illinois River: Ice flows continued to slow Illinois River navigation, but shippers noted substantial improvement from pre-holiday levels.
Ice couplings were required at the Dresden Island, Starved Rock, LaGrange, and Peoria Locks, although Marseilles Lock restrictions were lifted for the week. Forecasters warned of freezing conditions in the next 5-7 days. Marseilles Lock delays were called up to seven hours.
Dive operations at the Chicago area’s Demonstration Barrier are expected to slow transits on Jan. 9-20.
Ohio River: Transit through New Cumberland Lock returned to normal last week after a hydraulic leak forced lock operators to manually open and close gates in the lead-up to the holidays.
Healthy river levels allowed for wickets to be lowered at Locks 52 and 53, leaving vessels free to transit without locking. The auxiliary chamber at R.C. Byrd Lock is offline through Jan. 30 for repairs.
Erosion control installation at Mile 244 on the Tennessee River will be conducted during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, though April 14. Minimal delays are anticipated.
Dredging may slow barge transit at Miles 102-104 on the Cumberland River starting Jan. 9, shippers noted. The work is expected to run through late March.
Allegheny River transit remained stopped at Lock 6 (Mile 36.3) due to a hydraulic leak and associated mechanical failure. No timeline has yet been announced for the lock’s reopening.
On the Monongahela River, boats were routed through the Braddock Lock and Dam land chamber. The lock’s river chamber has been shuttered indefinitely due to equipment failure.