U.S. Gulf:
Calcasieu Lock daytime restrictions were noted inhibiting Monday-Thursday travel between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Calcasieu Lock is located at Mile 238.5 in the West Canal. The project, which began on March 22, was due to continue into late August.
Bayou Sorrel Lock guidewall construction in progress through early 2023 was noted limiting weekday lock access between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., although 24-hour operations returned to the lock on Saturday and Sunday. Intermittent wait times were generally seen topping out around nine hours.
Brazos Locks system navigation was reportedly blocked on weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. due to repairs and maintenance, although normal access resumed on Saturday and Sunday. Waits were reported at 10-25 hours.
Recent dredging at Miles 113-117 of the Atchafalaya River has failed to correct shoaling issues at Miles 115.5-117 in the Morgan City, La., area, a Coast Guard posting indicated. As a result, 10-foot draft limits remain in effect at Miles 113-117, as well as 600-foot length limits and width maximums posted at 70 feet.
Tows measuring longer than 400 feet were “strongly advised” to travel with an assist tug through the Atchafalaya River. In addition, the presence of underwater pipelines revealed during a recent hydrograph has forced the closure of Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass to commercial navigation. Tows were recommended to detour through the Port Allen Route to avoid the restrictions.
Length and width restrictions continued at Algiers Lock, limiting unassisted lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Tows utilizing an assist vessel were permitted to lock with longer barge strings. Waits were typically noted at 5-12 hours, while a handful of intermittent delays were seen up to 25 hours.
Construction activities in progress at Belle Chasse Bridge, located at Mile 3 in the West Canal, reportedly triggered intermittent navigation stoppages up to 12 hours during the week.
Port Allen Lock delays were reported up to 56 hours during the week, while Industrial Lock wait times ran in a wide 10-29 hour range.
Mississippi River:
Mile 107 of the lower Mississippi River was expected to undergo power line work on July 7-20, interrupting daytime navigation. Traffic will run on a staggered one-way pattern between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., and again from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., while movements will be completely shut down from 7:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.
Old River Lock will close for miter gate installation from Aug. 30 through Nov. 13, blocking all movements through the site. Tows seeking access to the Red River will be routed through the Atchafalaya River. Wait times were noted in the 4-8 hour range at Lock 22.
Illinois River:
A sunken tug was blocking navigation at Mile 166 on the Illinois River on June 25. Salvage operations concluded quickly, although resulting delays lingered through at least June 29.
Repair and maintenance operations in progress since May 9 at Brandon Road Lock continued to impact navigation during the week. Movements are limited to overnight hours only through Aug. 14, while a complete shutdown of the site will block transit entirely between Aug. 15 and Sept. 4.
Nighttime lockages at Brandon Road Lock will resume on Sept. 5-8, followed by a return to normal locking hours on Sept. 9. A width limit of 70 feet was reported in effect on all lockages while the project is underway. Wait times were noted in a wide 5-23 hour range through the week.
Falling water levels precipitated raised wickets at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock during the week, forcing all movements to lock through both locations.
Starved Rock Lock wait times were clocked up to seven hours during the week, while Peoria Lock saw delays in the 3-9 hour range. Intermittent LaGrange Lock waits were observed at 7-9 hours.
Ohio River:
Ongoing shoaling conditions reported at Mile 926 on the Ohio River continued to impact travel on the entire length of the river, sources said. In addition to limited passage determined on a tow-by-tow basis at Miles 920-926, draft limits were set at 10 feet for the river’s full length. Dredging was in progress for the week.
Belleville Lock main chamber repairs and maintenance concluded on June 24, ahead of the June 29 schedule. Navigation through the area quickly returned to normal, ending a period of delays frequently counted at 15 hours or more.
The Greenup Lock primary chamber was undergoing repairs between May 1 and June 29, restricting access to the chamber and contributing to minimal locking delays. Waits at the site were previously heard up to 17 hours.
Dive inspections were projected to limit daylight-hour navigation through Racine Lock on June 28-30. Wait times ran up to eight hours during the week.
Cannelton Lock is scheduled to see a full main chamber closure due to gate replacement. Starting on July 5, navigation through the site is expected to detour through the secondary chamber through Nov. 11. In preparation for the main chamber project, the secondary chamber was reported shut from May 5 through July 1 for anchor arm replacement, while navigation was completely unavailable through either chamber on June 24-25 due to site inspections.
Hannibal Lock is expected to see a primary chamber shutdown from July 5 to Oct. 8. Tows are anticipated to pass the site through the auxiliary chamber, with delays expected.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock delays were quoted in the 15-32 hour range through the week, tightening from 9-45 hours previously. Kentucky Lock is in the midst of a long-term construction project scheduled to run through the end of 2024.
Pickwick Landing Lock wait times were noted up to 10 hours during the week. Tows required up to 16 hours to pass Wilson Lock.
The Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock is closed through Aug. 5 for miter gate machinery repairs, with substantial delays predicted. Navigation through the site has followed an 11-days closed, three-days open pattern, set to repeat through the project’s conclusion.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock is closed to daytime navigation from June 22 through July 21 for planned repairs and maintenance, during which travel is unavailable between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The shutdowns are scheduled to repeat on Aug. 1-10; Aug. 21-Sept. 21; Oct. 20-Nov. 18; Nov. 29-Dec. 23; and Jan. 3-31, 2023, while a complete lock closure is expected from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9.
Joe Hardin Lock will shut to daytime transit on Sept. 12-19, followed by a total closure during the Sept. 20-Oct. 9 period.