US Gulf:
Harvey Lock, closed since Oct. 2 due to low water on the lower section of the Mississippi River, remained shut to travel for the week, Corps lock data indicated. Algiers Lock was recommend as an alternate route.
A guidewall replacement project in progress at Bayou Sorrel Lock since Aug. 1 interrupted Monday-through-Friday travel between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., resulting in waits up to 25 hours on Dec. 6. Work at the site was scheduled to continue through February 2023.
Algiers Lock tows remained subject to restricted lengths and widths for unassisted lockages, limiting vessels to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Larger passes were possible when traveling with an assist tug. Corps data showed wait times topping out at 13-22 hours during the week.
Calcasieu Lock is scheduled to close to daytime navigation on Dec. 4-19, with delays expected. The site is slated to undergo additional closures in January 2023.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction was expected to wrap up at the end of the year. Located at Mile 3 of the West Canal, wait times at that location have been noted up to 12 hours.
Intermittent 5-16 hour delays were observed at Port Allen Lock during the week. Corps data showed wait times up to 32 hours at Industrial Lock, while 14-18 hour waits were noted at Calcasieu Lock on Dec. 6-7. Boats Locking through Brazos Lock were delayed up to 16 hours.
Mississippi River:
Low water continued to impact travel on the lower Mississippi River during the week, tightening draft limits on solid cargoes to 8.5 feet for the full length of the waterway. Drafts were previously set at 8.5 feet between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., and at 9.0 feet from Cairo to the Gulf. Drafts for liquid cargoes continued to be restricted to 8.5 feet.
River levels at Memphis, Tenn., lifted to 1.47 feet on Dec. 7, and were projected to crest at 1.9 feet on Dec. 8-9 before receding to approximately (-)3.0 feet on Dec. 21. The St. Louis gauge was at (-)0.04 feet and falling on Dec. 7, with readings expected at (-)4.10 feet on Dec. 21. Additional travel restrictions are anticipated if the St. Louis gauge falls below the (-)4.0-foot mark.
Repairs to the I-10 bridge prompted a safety advisory at Miles 228-230 of the lower river. Work at the site was anticipated to continue through June 2023. Revetment projects at Miles 100 and 139 were scheduled to run through December, while a channel reinforcement effort at Miles 192-193 is on the books for January.
The St. Louis Harbor area was shut at the upper river’s Mile 170 on Dec. 6-7 for dredging. Mile 102 was closed to daylight navigation Dec. 4-14 for dredging, leaving vessels to pass overnight. Dredging at Mile 345 of the lower river was scheduled to conclude on Dec. 6. The dredge was expected to move to Mile 541 next.
Lock 15 passages required up to 10 hours during the week. Corps data showed intermittent 25-27 hour delays at Mel Price Lock, while Chain of Rocks Lock saw waits up to 21 hours on Dec. 6-7.
Illinois River:
Raised wickets remained in effect at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock during the week due to low water levels, forcing tows to lock through both locations. Passages through LaGrange Lock were reported in the 5-19 hour range. Delays were noted up to 11 hours through Starved Rock Lock.
Northbound access to Lockport Lock was restricted on Dec. 6-7 due to preparations for upcoming concrete wall repairs. LaGrange Lock was shut from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm. on Dec. 6. Dredging at Miles 147-148 was slated to continue until further notice, impacting Monday-through-Friday travel between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Ohio River:
Low water conditions persisted on the Ohio River, prompting 9.0-foot draft restrictions for the full length of the waterway. Similar draft limits were also in place for the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
The Montgomery Lock primary chamber is shut through Dec. 16 for repairs and maintenance. Tows have been forced to lock one barge at a time through the secondary chamber, resulting in wait times swelling to 10-13 days.
Olmsted Lock travel was subject to intermittent 11-15 hour delays during the week due to low water levels and an emerging sandbar. Wait times at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock topped out at 12 hours during the week. Most Wilson Lock passages required 13-22 hours to complete.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock is scheduled for a full shutdown on Jan. 30-31, 2023, blocking travel through the site for a 48-hour period.