U.S. Gulf:
Average Industrial Lock delays were quoted in a 14-17 hour range for the week. Twenty-three vessels were counted in line on July 19, with the longest queued for nearly 30 hours. Algiers Lock waits were heard at 3-7 hours, while sources described Calcasieu Lock transits at 3-4 hours.
Ongoing Bayou Sorrel Lock guide wall repairs are scheduled to block weekday navigation from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through Aug. 7. Sources said Bayou Boeuf Lock was also closed to daylight navigation through Aug. 7.
Harvey Lock is scheduled to close on Aug. 1 for dewatering, maintenance, and repairs. Vessels are advised to utilize Algiers Lock as an alternate route. The project is tentatively scheduled to conclude on Sept. 30.
Dredging activities continued in the West Canal, according to a Corps posting, slowing transits through the area. A pair of dredges were described in use between Freeport Harbor and Upper Matagorda Bay (Miles 395-400), near the Brazos River Floodgates, necessitating that boats pass at slowest safe speeds. Sources reported additional dredge work in the San Antonio Bay, scheduled through Sept. 26. That operation was reported to partially block the channel, forcing tows into a singlewide configuration while passing the dredge.
Colorado Lock delays were described at 3-5 hours through both the East and West lock chambers.
Mississippi River:
The Corps reported an average 4-5 hour wait at Lock 14, with wait times for nine-barge tows generally falling in a 5-8 hour range. Lock 20 waits were called 2-5 hours on July 19, while Lock 21 passages were described at 3-4 hours. Shippers reported Lock 22 waits exceeding 10 hours on July 19.
Lock 15 will halt all daytime navigation on July 24-27 for repairs, effectively closing the river. The secondary chamber at Lock 15 is offline through Aug. 3, with delays quoted in an average 5-7 hour range. The Mel Price Lock auxiliary chamber is closed through Sept. 10, and 10-hour waits were reported on July 17-18. Erosion control installation underway at Mile 385 on the Lower Mississippi could trigger sporadic delays, sources warned.
The Corps continues to plan for an imminent restart of the Thebes-area rock pinnacle removal project. Contractors have been waiting since the winter on reduced water levels necessary for work to begin. The Corps has mandated a 15-foot maximum depth reading at the Cape Girardeau gauge as necessary for commencement. National Weather Service forecasts predict a decline to 15 feet on Aug. 1-2. Sources have previously warned of daylight-hour transit restrictions and slowdowns once the project gets underway
Illinois River:
Rising water levels prompted lock operators to lower the LaGrange Lock dam last week, further postponing a 60-day repair effort. The project, originally scheduled to begin June 15, was pushed into early July due to persistent high water. Vessels are able to pass without locking while the dam remains down, but long wait times are predicted when the dam is raised and the project resumes.
Marseilles Lock waits were described as up to seven hours for the week. The Corps pegged average Starved Rock Lock delays at 4-5 hours on July 19. Peoria Lock did not operate for the week, allowing vessels to transit without locking.
Ohio River:
Sources predicted a Lock 52 shutdown starting July 24-25 while lock operators raise wickets at the site. The shutdown is predicted to last 72 hours, followed by additional 12-24 hour delays to clear the traffic backlog when operations resume.
Meldahl Lock waits stretched to 5-10 hours for the week. The primary chamber at Meldahl is offline for repairs through Oct. 2, forcing traffic through the auxiliary chamber instead. The primary chamber at Cannelton Lock is closed through Sept. 18 for repairs and maintenance. Traffic is relying on the auxiliary chamber for passage, however, the Corps warned of intermittent 8-16 hour auxiliary shutdowns.
Greenup Lock repairs were projected to conclude July 21. The lock’s main chamber has been closed to daylight transit since June 5. The primary chamber at Dashields Lock is unavailable for weekday transits between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., until Aug. 31.
The Newburgh Lock auxiliary chamber was due to close July 20-24 for equipment unloading, followed by an additional shutdown on Sept. 29-30. The land chamber at Smithland Lock was closed July 18 for equipment unloading. The Belleville Lock main chamber is tentatively slated to close Oct. 2 through Dec. 7 for repairs and maintenance.
Maintenance and repair operations underway at the Tennessee River’s Pickwick Lock were expected to trigger intermittent navigation stoppages on July 10-27. Bridge construction near Fort Loudon Lock concluded on July 15, ending a 30-day period of sporadic transit interruptions. On the Allegheny River, repairs will shutter Lock 4 between Oct. 2 and Nov. 8, closing the river.
Arkansas River:
Dardanelle Lock navigation will be unavailable on Sept. 5-14, 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., for dive operations.