U.S. Gulf:
Sources said a Harvey Lock shutdown is scheduled for April 5-21, necessitated by planned repairs to the nearby 4th Street Lift Bridge. Vessels are expected to detour through Algiers Lock during the closure, with increased delays anticipated. High water levels reported in the Gulf could further amplify delays should the conditions persist into April.
The Colorado Locks system is slated to shut to daylight-hour navigation from March 22 through April 2, blocking movements daily between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Bayou Sorrel Lock was reported closing to daytime navigation on March 16, prompting waits of 22-32 hours. The project, slated to conclude on April 7, is set to repeat from April 21 to May 15, blocking daylight-hour movements once again.
Towing restrictions continued at Port Allen Lock, a result of guidewall damage sustained during a January barge collision. Tows traveling to the west with two barges or more were permitted to pass with the use of an assist vessel, while vessels traveling with one or fewer barges were cleared to lock without assistance. All eastbound tows longer than 650 feet were required to use an assist vessel. Wait times for the week were reported in a wide 5-23 hour range.
The Port Allen Route’s Gross Tete Bridge, located at Mile 36, began drawbridge repairs on March 15. Travel through the bridge will be limited to the hours of 10:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. through 12:00 a.m., through an estimated May 15. Delays of 6-12 hours are expected.
Algiers Lock restrictions continued as well, with towing widths above 60 feet limited to 600-foot lengths. Tows narrower than 60 feet were permitted lengths up to 700 feet, sources said. The caps effectively restricted unassisted lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn, although bigger lockages were possible with the use of an assist vessel. Most Algiers Lock delays were reported in the 11-16 hour range for the week, with intermittent wait times spiking to as high as 26 hours.
Overnight fog reportedly impacted travel in the Gulf and Canals through March 16, effecting nightly delays of up to 10 hours. Fog delays were expected to give way to slowdowns from rough seas and high winds, beginning as early as March 17.
The East Canal’s Rigolets Bridge concluded repairs on March 12, ending a period of limited access to the Pearl River.
High water levels in the Gulf and lower Mississippi continued to limit barge counts, with sources reporting cargoes cut by 5-10 units below the typical 25-barge limit. The Baton Rouge, La., river gauge was at an action-stage 32.77 feet and rising on March 16, and was forecast to crest at 34 feet on March 20-23, just shy of the minor-flood level.
Sources quoted Industrial Lock delays at a maximum 14 hours for the week.
Mississippi River:
Barge traffic resumed on the upper Mississippi River during the week, sources said, following the reopening of Locks 13-19 after winter maintenance and repairs. Lock 2 was reportedly shut for repairs through March 19, while passage through Lock 25 is scheduled to resume on March 22, marking a scheduled return to full navigational capacity in the week ahead.
High water levels on the lower river prompted towing restrictions between Cairo, Ill., and the Gulf, with sources describing barge counts limited to 15-20 units, down from the usual 25 cargoes. The restrictions increased per-barge transit times by approximately 24 hours. The river gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was reported above the 35-foot action stage at 41.11 feet on March 17, and was expected to remain above action stage into early April.
Dike work planned for the lower river’s Mile 770 was tentatively scheduled to begin in late March. The project, set to run for approximately one month, is expected to intermittently block southbound travel daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. while in progress.
Illinois River:
Demolition of the Utica Bridge was scheduled for March 18, sources said. Movements through the area around Mile 230 were projected to be blocked for at least 24 hours during demolition and the resulting cleanup effort.
With wickets lowered at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, boats continued to pass both sites without locking. Delays were quoted up to nine hours on movements through Starved Rock Lock.
Ohio River:
Greenup Lock primary chamber repairs reportedly ended on March 17, concluding a period of closures that kicked off on Feb. 19. Following the main chamber’s reopening, the site’s auxiliary chamber was scheduled to shut through at least April 11. Waits were reported up to 30 hours earlier in the week, but dropped below six hours following the project’s conclusion.
The primary chamber at Meldahl Lock was slated to close for gate machinery repairs from April 12 through June 11, prompting detours through the 600-foot secondary chamber. Delays are anticipated. The secondary chamber at Markland Lock, shut since early 2020 due to miter gate structural damage, is projected to remain impassable through at least Oct. 29. Locking remains available through the primary chamber, sources said, with minimal delays reported.
One of Smithland Lock’s secondary chambers is shut through April 1 for maintenance and repairs. Navigation remains available through both the primary chamber and the alternate secondary chamber. The New Cumberland Lock auxiliary chamber was reported closed to navigation through June 10.
The Cannelton Lock primary chamber is scheduled to halt navigation from June 21 through Nov. 19, with substantial delays predicted.
The main chamber at the Tennessee River’s Pickwick Landing Lock was reported shut to daytime navigation through March 18. Despite vessels detouring through the smaller auxiliary chamber, wait times at the site were generally quoted below five hours for the week. Sources noted delays in the 6-18 hour range at Kentucky Lock.
Bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) repair at Barkley Lock, located on the Cumberland River, will begin on March 22 and run through April 2, sources said, blocking navigation daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. BAFF repairs are scheduled for April 12 through June 3 at Cheatham Lock, with significant delays expected. The Corps has announced openings to pass waiting traffic at Cheatham on April 23-26, May 7-10, and May 21-24.
Arkansas River:
Structural testing at the Arkansas River’s Lock 3, located below Little Rock, Ark., at Mile 52, triggered intermittent delays and shutdowns starting on March 12. Interruptions were scheduled to continue through March 20, constricting access to Little Rock and above.
Lock 6 will shut for dewatering and repairs between Aug. 27 and Sept. 9, with delays expected.