U.S. Gulf:
Daylight-only transit restrictions on the Upper Mississippi River due to high water were projected to end by May 23. The restrictions were in effect from the Thebes Bridge at Mile 47 to Cape Girardeau’s Mile 51.
Bayou Sorrel Lock was reportedly closed to navigation once again due to high water, after a brief reopening during the previous week. Updated opening estimates signaled a potential return to navigation in early June. The lock was originally shut on May 11. Boats were reported detouring through Algiers Lock during the shutdown.
Port Allen Lock guidewall damage continued to necessitate towing restrictions through the site. Assist vessels were mandated on westbound tows of two barges or more, while vessels traveling to the east required an assist boat on all tows longer than 650 feet.
Heavy rain prompted an extension of high-water towing restrictions on travel above New Orleans, causing a capacity reduction of 5-10 barges per tow. The region typically allows for tows up to 25 barges.
The National Weather Service (NWS) gauge at Baton Rouge, La., returned an action-stage 32.1-foot reading on May 23. Forecasts called for levels to hold above action stage into early June. A May 23 Flood Warning issued for the Mississippi River at Red River Landing, West Feliciana, Baton Rouge, and Pointe Coupee was scheduled to end on May 25.
Harvey Lock reportedly resumed operation on the evening of May 21, ending a shutdown necessitated by repairs to the 4th Street Bridge, located near the lock. Traffic detoured through Algiers Lock during the closure, contributing to substantial delays at that site. Residual delays were noted up to 48 hours through Harvey Lock on May 25-27.
Algiers Lock delays were reported easing on May 22-23, although restrictions persisted on unassisted lockages. Length and width caps effectively limited tows to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers. Lengthier tows were possible with the use of an assist vessel, however. Combined with the Bayou Sorrel Lock detour, the restrictions were noted pushing delays to 96 hours for the week.
Ongoing floodgate construction and dive activities necessitated overnight navigation closures through Bayou Chene, blocking travel nightly between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Transit delays were noted in the 6-12 hour range. A requirement to utilize an assist vessels on movements through the channel was also reported.
Sources reported travel delays in both the East and West Canals due to inclement weather in the Gulf.
Industrial Lock waits were quoted in a general 10-19 hour range, while sources put Bayou Boeuf Lock and Colorado Lock delays up to 13 hours for the week. Boats passing Brazos Lock experienced wait times up to 27 hours.
Mississippi River:
Burlington Railroad Bridge repairs required shippers to provide one-hour advance notice of arrival. The requirement, in place daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., was projected to continue into second-half June.
Elevated water levels affected travel on the lower river, reducing barge counts between Cairo, Ill., and the Gulf by 5-10 units from the usual 25-barge maximum. Twenty-four hour navigation continued through bridges in the Memphis and Vicksburg areas, while levels holding above action stage at Baton Rouge limited overnight passages on a case-by-case basis.
The NWS gauge at Vicksburg moved below the 35-foot action stage on May 20, and was reportedly holding at 33.4 feet on May 24.
Revetment operations in progress at Randolph Bluff, located at Mile 770 on the Lower Mississippi River, blocked traffic daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Contractors were noted attempting to pass traffic in both the northbound and southbound directions on a case-by-case basis, reducing waits to 6-12 hours from 12-24 hours reported at the start of the project. Work at the site is scheduled to conclude around May 31.
A Lock 2 miter gate installation project on the books for July was expected to trigger daily 4-12 hour shutdowns. Twelve-hour navigation stops are anticipated at Lock 25 in July and August for lower guidewall repair. Navigation is expected be limited from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily while work is underway.
Most Lock 14 delays were heard in the 5-10 hour range for the week, while boats passing Lock 15 saw 6-10 hour waits on May 26-27. Delays at Lock 21 were typically noted at 4-7 hours, while Lock 24 crossings ran as high as six hours for the week. Waits were reported at 4-7 hours through Lock 25.
Illinois River:
Elevated river levels kept wickets at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock down through the week. As a result, vessels were able to pass both sites without locking.
Ohio River:
The primary chamber at Meldahl Lock closed on May 17 for miter gate repairs and maintenance, pushing delays to as high as 16 hours for the week. Set to run through June 29, tows will be routed through the auxiliary chamber, with lengthy delays expected. Intermittent total-lock shutdowns were also expected to be peppered throughout the project.
Fully closed since early 2020 due to structural cracks in the miter gate, the Markland Lock auxiliary chamber is scheduled to remain shut to navigation through Oct. 29, routing all traffic through the primary chamber. The secondary chamber at New Cumberland Lock is closed to traffic through June 10 for repairs.
The primary chamber at Cannelton Lock is planned to shut from June 21 through Nov. 19 for maintenance. With traffic projected to detour through the site’s smaller secondary chamber, significant delays are expected.
On the Tennessee River, Chickamauga Lock was scheduled to return from an electrical overhaul on May 25. Transit had been wholly unavailable through the site since May 3. Kentucky Lock delays were quoted in the 1-3 day range for the week.
The Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock was noted undergoing a series of shutdowns due to bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) repairs. Navigation through the site is projected to be unavailable on May 17-27; June 1-10; June 14-24, June 28-July 1; and July 12-22.
Arkansas River:
A dewatering and repair operation is scheduled to shut David D. Terry Lock to navigation from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9, fully closing the river at the site. Ahead of the shutdown, intermittent outages are projected during the Aug. 16-26 period.