U.S. Gulf:
Brazos Lock travel was scheduled to remain unavailable during daylight hours on Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., until July 29, one day earlier than the previously reported on June 30. Delays were observed up to five hours through the week.
Dredging at Port Allen Lock reportedly concluded during the week, although lingering delays remained. Waits were noted up to 12.5 hours on July 18, falling from 24 hours reported over the weekend. Additional daylight-hour closures were expected at the site on July 20-30 due to planned equipment repairs.
A dredging operation currently running on a 24-hour schedule through the first half of August was expected to trigger intermittent delays at Algiers Lock, Industrial Lock, and Harvey Lock.
Daytime traffic through the bridge at Mile 231 of the West Canal continued to see interruptions daily from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and again from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Planned work at Calcasieu Bridge, located at the West Canal’s Mile 239, was anticipated to impact daytime travel on July 18-29, blocking passages from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and again from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The resumption of guidewall replacement work at Bayou Sorrel Lock was pushed back to early August from the previously scheduled July 11. Work will inhibit Monday-through-Friday travel between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily once underway, tentatively scheduled to run through February 2023. Wait times at the site topped out around 5.5 hours for the week.
Bayou Sorrel Bridge repairs were expected to limit Monday-Thursday travel between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., through late August.
Draft limits continued to be observed at Miles 113-117 of the Atchafalaya River due to “extensive” shoaling in the area, particularly at Miles 115.5-117, according to a Coast Guard safety bulletin. Drafts were capped at 10 feet through the Stouts Pass area, while towing lengths and widths were set at 600 feet and 70 feet, respectively. Tows longer than 400 feet were encouraged to travel with an assist boat.
Navigation was completely unavailable through Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass due to the presence of potentially hazardous underwater pipes. Tows could bypass the waterway’s myriad restrictions by detouring through the Port Allen Route.
Length and width restrictions continued to be reported at Algiers Lock, limiting unassisted tows to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Larger lockages were available when traveling with an assist tug. Most wait times topped out around 10 hours during the week, although a handful of delays were seen up to 18-26 hours.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction efforts, scheduled to run through the end of 2022, triggered delay expectations up to 12 hours. The structure is located at the West Canal’s Mile 3.
Colorado Lock waits peaked at seven hours on July 18.
Mississippi River:
Excessive heat continued to plague the lower Mississippi River during the week, impacting loading and unloading times, as well as other outdoor activities related to commercial river operations.
An excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service was in place for the Vicksburg, Miss., area on July 20, while a heat advisory warned of heat index values up to 110 degrees in the Baton Rouge, La., area on July 20.
Persistent low water levels were reported again for the week from St. Louis to the Gulf, restricting towing capacity. Barge and vessel drafts were capped at 12.5 feet on southbound movements, while tows moving upriver were limited to 10.5 feet of draft. In addition, maximum barge counts were reduced by 10-15%.
Channel maintenance reported at Miles 336-337 was noted blocking southbound travel daily between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The operation was scheduled to end on Aug. 7.
Power line work in progress at Mile 107 was heard limiting daytime travel through the area. Single-direction movements were available from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the site, and again between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Travel was completely unavailable between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The operation was tentatively expected to continue through the end of the month.
The lower river’s Old River Lock, located at Mile 305, is expected to see daily shutdowns from July 25 through Aug. 29, limiting travel between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Miter gate installation scheduled for Aug. 30 through Nov. 13 will block all navigation through the site, complicating access to the Red River. Tows looking to access the Red River were advised to detour through the Atchafalaya River while work is underway.
Lock 21 delays were reported up to six hours. Lock and Dam 24 wait times were noted topping out near the 10-hour mark.
Illinois River:
Repair and maintenance operations running through Sept. 8 at Brandon Road Lock were projected to significantly impact movements through the site. Lockages are limited to overnight hours through Aug. 14, after which the lock will close to all traffic from Aug. 15 through Sept. 4. Overnight-only travel will resume on Sept. 5-8, followed by a return to standard operating hours on Sept. 9. A 70-foot width limit is in effect for the project’s entirety. Corps data showed delays up to 13.5 hours during the week.
Lock operators were noted raising wickets a LaGrange Lock during the week, prompting the resumption of lockages through the site. Wickets remained in the raised position at Peoria Lock, sources said. Delays were noted up to six hours at both locations.
Corps data noted six-hour waits at Dresden Island Lock, while tows passing Marseilles Lock were delayed up to seven hours. Intermittent 5-12 hour passages were observed at Starved Rock Lock.
Ohio River:
The primary chamber at Cannelton Lock is shut for repairs and maintenance through Nov. 11, prompting detours through the secondary chamber. With the bulk of tows requiring at least two passes to clear the lock, wait times were observed up to 27.5 hours through the week.
A Hannibal Lock primary chamber repair and maintenance shutdown has been in progress since July 5, requiring passage through the secondary chamber. Intermittent delays were clocked up to nine hours as a result.
Intermittent 4-5 hour delays were noted at McAlpine Lock during the week.
Waits were reported up to 18 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock. Corps data put Wilson Lock waiting as high as 30 hours. The Pickwick Lock main chamber was reportedly undergoing inspection for a potential structural issue, prompting all vessels to pass through the secondary chamber. Minimal delays were reported.
Machinery repairs underway at the Cheatham Lock miter gate were noted triggering lengthy shutdowns at the site. Access to the lock has followed a repeating 14-day schedule, consisting of a complete 11-day transit shutdown followed by three days of unrestricted navigation. Work at the site is expected to wrap up on Aug. 5.
Arkansas River:
Daytime travel outages at Norrell Lock, underway since June 22, were scheduled to end on July 21. Navigation was reportedly unavailable daily between 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the outage. Overnight-only travel is scheduled to resume on Aug. 1-10; Aug. 21-Sept. 21; Oct. 20-Nov. 18; Nov. 29-Dec. 23; and Jan. 3-31, 2023. Travel will be completely unavailable between Sept. 30 and Oct. 9, sources indicated.
Transit will be unavailable through Joe Hardin Lock between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily on Sept. 12-19, and again on Sept. 28-29. The lock will close completely to navigation from Sept. 20 through Oct. 9.