U.S. Gulf:
High water levels on April 16 forced a full stop to navigation on the Port Allen Route, sources said. Vessels detoured through Algiers Lock, increasing travel times by an estimated one week. Port Allen lock continued minimal operation during the shutdown, although service was reportedly limited to local vessels only.
Gross Tete Bridge repairs are scheduled to continue through May 15, with limited movements when Port Allen Route navigation resumes.
Unrepaired guidewall damage continued to limit Port Allen lockages, capping unassisted westbound movements to tows with one or zero barges. Boats with two or more barges in tow were required to utilize an assist vessel. For eastbound travel, an assist boat was required for all tows longer than 650 feet. Intermittent four-hour shutdowns were reported for repairs, running from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily through May 17.
Harvey Lock movements are unavailable through May 21 due to repairs to the 4th Street Bridge, located adjacent to the lock. Tows detoured through Algiers Lock, exacerbating previously existing slowdowns due to high water, the Port Allen Route shutdown, and unrepaired lock damage. Most reported Algiers Lock delays at 62 hours, with a small number of crossings noted up to 75 hours. A total of 69 tows were in line to lock at Algiers on April 20.
Towing restrictions continued at Algiers Lock, restricting unassisted tows measuring 60 feet or wider to a maximum 600 feet of length. Tows under 60 feet in width were granted unassisted access on lengths up to 700 feet. The restrictions capped locking capacity to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn, although longer tows were possible with an assist vessel.
Bayou Chene was shut to overnight travel due to construction and dive operations, driving potential 6-12 hour delays.
Bayou Sorrel Lock was slated to close to daytime navigation on April 21 due to repairs and maintenance. Transit through the site was unavailable on April 20 ahead of the planned shutdown. The project is scheduled to run through May 15.
High water continued to limit tows operating in the Gulf above New Orleans, slashing maximum barge counts by 5-10 units. Water levels at Baton Rouge, La., broke below the 38-foot moderate-flood threshold, falling to 37.8 feet on April 20, although forecasts projected the gauge to remain above the 30-foot action stage into early May, prolonging towing restrictions.
An NWS Flood Warning issued on April 20 for the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge and Red River Landing was scheduled to expire on May 3.
Most Industrial Lock delays were quoted up to 15 hours for the week, although sources said intermittent waits spiked to 25 hours. Bayou Boeuf Lock wait times were quoted up to 15 hours, while sources reported Brazos Lock crossings in the 10-23 hour range.
Mississippi River:
High water levels and fast flows limited fleet availability at Cottonwood, La., located at Mile 833 on the lower Mississippi River. Inclusion requests were considered on a case-by-case basis, sources said.
A revetment operation previously planned to kick off in late February at Mile 770 was rescheduled for April 26, sources reported. The operation is projected to block navigation daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. through the site, likely running through late May or early June.
Improving conditions reported on the upper Mississippi River allowed for a return to full barge complements above St. Louis. Tows were earlier limited to nine barges between St. Paul and Prairie du Chien, Wisc., and 12 barges from Prairie du Chien to St. Louis.
Restrictions were easing somewhat between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., with sources noting looser limitations on bridge travel through St. Louis and Thebes, Ill. Barge counts continued to be reduced by five units, however.
Elevated water levels and fast flows persisted below Cairo, however, reducing maximum cargoes to 15-20 per tow, down from the usual 25. In addition, daylight-only travel restrictions remained in force through bridges at Memphis, Vicksburg, Miss., and Baton Rouge. The NWS river gauge at Vicksburg was clocked at an action-stage 41.4 feet and falling on April 21, with levels projected to drop below action stage on May 4.
Travel through the railroad bridge at the upper river’s Mile 699 was unavailable nightly from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. due to a shortage of qualified bridge tenders, sources said.
Sources continued to predict a planned Lock 2 shutdown in July, needed for miter gate installation. Work at the site is anticipated to block travel for 4-12 hours at a stretch during daylight hours. Lock 25 is projected to undergo daytime shutdowns in July and August for guidewall repairs.
Lock 22 delays were quoted up to five hours for the week, while boats passing Lock 25 noted waits up to eight hours. Passages were clocked up to six hours through both Mel Price Lock and Lock 27.
Illinois River:
Lockport Lock was scheduled to shut for repairs from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on April 24. Wickets remained down at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, permitting tows to pass both sites without locking.
Ohio River:
Sources reported a 48-hour river closure at Mile 75.5 due to bridge construction. The closure started on the morning of April 21, with movement through the area scheduled to resume on April 23.
The Corps announced revised dates for the planned Meldahl Lock main chamber shutdown for miter gate machinery repairs. Travel through the chamber will be largely unavailable from May 17 through June 29, prompting detours through the site’s 600-foot auxiliary chamber. Sources predicted significant delays. The project was previously slated to run from April 12 through June 11.
Main chamber work scheduled for June 21 to Nov. 19 at Cannelton Lock is likely to trigger substantial delays, sources said. Traffic is projected to pass through the smaller auxiliary chamber while work is underway.
The auxiliary chamber at Markland Lock, closed to traffic since early 2020 due to cracks in the miter gate, is anticipated to remain shut through Oct. 29. Transit has remained available through the main chamber, with minimal delays reported. The New Cumberland Lock secondary chamber is shut through June 10 for repairs and maintenance, sources said.
The Tennessee River’s Wilson Lock main chamber is slated to shut for repairs on May 4-13, leaving boats to pass through the secondary chamber. Kentucky Lock wait times were clocked up to 24.5 hours for the week.
Repairs to the bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) system at the Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock were rescheduled for May 10 through July 15. The Corps is expected to open the lock three times during the project to pass waiting vessels.
Arkansas River:
David D. Terry Lock is scheduled to shut for dewatering and repairs from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9. Intermittent delays are expected prior to the closure, on Aug. 16-26.