US Gulf:
Calcasieu Lock, closed to daytime travel on weekdays since Jan. 30, saw waits up to 31 hours during the week. Work at the site is slated to run through March 3.
Bayou Boeuf Lock maintenance kicked off on Feb. 6, shutting the lock to daytime travel, Monday through Thursday, until Feb. 16. Sources expected the lock to pass waiting vessels intermittently during working hours, with delays potentially hitting the 12-hour mark.
Algiers Lock repairs are tentatively scheduled to begin in late February and last for about seven weeks, sources said. Daytime navigation will be unavailable for roughly 20 nonconsecutive days scattered throughout the project. Delays were counted at 15-32 hours during the week.
Belle Chasse Bridge replacement work will block travel through Mile 3.8 of the Algiers Canal between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 20, 22, 24, 28, and March 2. Additional shutdowns are expected in late March and in April.
Colorado Lock repairs, restarted on Dec. 5, will limit travel from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through March 10. Delays topped out at 10 hours on Feb. 6.
Corps data showed Port Allen Lock wait times up to 18 hours, while boats transiting Industrial Lock waited up 56 hours to pass. Brazos Lock navigation required up to 21 hours. Fog delays tightened daily travel windows by 10-15 hours during the week.
Mississippi River:
Low water levels continued to impact commercial movements on the upper Mississippi River, triggering both draft limits and tow-size reductions. Barges traveling southbound were capped at 9.5 feet of draft between St. Louis and Cairo, down from 10 feet reported previously, while tows moving downriver were restricted to a maximum of 20 barges per tow.
The St. Louis river gauge returned a (-)0.24-foot reading on Feb. 8. Forecasts predicted an increase to 6.9 feet on Feb. 11-12, although some sources expected seasonal weather patterns to leave area water levels unpredictable through the end of March. On the lower river, the Memphis gauge was forecast to fall below the area’s 5.0-foot Low Stage in late February.
The primary chambers at Chain of Rocks Lock and Mel Price Lock are closed for repairs and maintenance through March 17 and March 31, respectively, limiting navigation to the sites’ secondary lock chambers. Delays were reported up to 53 hours at Starved Rock Lock, while waits stretched as high as 58 hours at Mel Price Lock.
Upper river locks are tentatively scheduled to begin reopening for spring navigation on Feb. 26, starting with Locks 24 and 25. All locks on the upper river were expected to reopen by April 1, weather permitting. Tows departing NOLA for Clinton, Iowa, and below were slated to begin releasing in the second or third weeks of February, while boats destined for locations above Clinton were expected to depart NOLA in the third or fourth weeks of the month.
Illinois River:
Ice floes continued to hinder navigation on the Illinois Waterway, although rising temperatures in the long-term forecast suggested improving conditions in the second half of February.
Sources reported mandatory ice coupling usage at Dresden Island Lock and below, while a mix of ice pack and congestion from the Ohio River triggered delays as high as 45 hours at LaGrange Lock, according to Corps data. General slowdowns were heard through the length of the waterway due to the poor travel conditions.
Waits ran in a 3-7 hour range at Dresden Island Lock. Delays topped out above 10 hours at Starved Rock Lock.
Ohio River:
A salvage operation was heard blocking traffic intermittently at Mile 606 on Feb. 2-6. The stoppages primarily affected vessels traveling in the southbound direction.
The Bellville Lock and Racine Lock secondary chambers are closed through Feb. 26 for maintenance. Racine is scheduled to undergo a primary chamber closure Feb. 26 through March 12.
Floating mooring repairs currently underway at JT Meyers Lock will force intermittent main chamber closures through Aug. 20, while the main chamber at Dashields Lock is set to close for 48 hours on Feb. 16-18. Hannibal is expected to shut its primary chamber Feb. 20 through April 7.
Main chamber work at Greenup Lock will run March 12 through April 12. The Melville Lock secondary chamber, slated to go offline for repairs and maintenance on April 17, will return to service on Aug. 4.
A series of four-hour shutdowns are scheduled for repairs at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock over the Feb. 13-17 period. Kentucky Lock delays were counted up to 18 hours during the week. Tows transiting Wilson Lock waited up to 14 hours to pass.