US Gulf:
Weekday Bayou Sorrel Lock closures, restarted in March, were expected to limit daytime travel through May 31. Waits were noted up to five hours during the week.
Daylight-hour travel through Brazos Lock is blocked from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until March 31. Wait times were posted up to 38 hours. Work underway since Jan. 30 at Calcasieu Lock was scheduled to continue through March 3, with delays reported peaking at 23.5 hours on March 13.
Maintenance and repairs at Colorado Lock prompted daylight-hour shutdowns expected to run through April 28. The project was previously anticipated to wrap up on March 10. Waits topped out around the 41-hour mark.
Travel shutdowns were likely at the Belle Chasse Bridge in late March and early April due to ongoing bridge replacement work, sources said. The structure previously saw numerous single-day shutdowns between Feb. 20 and March 10. A planned closure at the Morgan City Railroad Bridge, located at Mile 121 in the West Canal, will force intermittent marine travel stoppages from mid-April through June.
Algiers Lock repairs, previously expected to start in late February and run for seven weeks, were delayed after inspections revealed the damage to be more extensive than previously believed. Once begun, dive work at the site is expected to close the lock to daytime travel for at least 30 days. About 20 days of shutdowns were previously anticipated. Most Algiers Lock waits tracked below 12 hours on March 14.
Port Allen Lock wait times were reported up to 17 hours during the week. Industrial Lock delays were counted in a wide 36-81 hour range.
Mississippi River:
High water levels persisted on the lower Mississippi River, triggering tow-size restrictions and slowed travel speeds. Maximum barge counts were reduced by up to 25% on both northbound and southbound travel, stretching delivery windows by 24-48 hours as a result.
Baton Rouge depths were reported at an action-stage 32.5 feet and rising on March 14. The gauge was forecast to crest at 33.5 feet on March 18-19 before falling below the 30.0-foot action stage on March 26.
Vicksburg tracked above the 35-foot action-stage at 40.48 feet on March 14. The gauge’s push above 40.0 feet prompted tows measuring wider than 105 feet to limit travel through the area to daylight hours, sources said. Some shippers expected conditions to begin improving as soon as the end of the week.
The Mel Price Lock and Chain of Rocks Lock main chambers were closed for repairs through March 31 and March 17, respectively. Transit continued through both sites’ auxiliary chambers, resulting in delays up to 40 hours at Mel Price. Chain of Rocks waits reportedly peaked at 26 hours on March 12-13.
The upper Mississippi River is expected to fully reopen from seasonal navigation shutdowns by April 1.
Illinois River:
High water levels continued to impact Illinois River navigation above Starved Rock Lock, sources said. Bridge clearance issues and reduced travel speeds were reported on both upriver and downriver travel.
Wickets remained lowered for the week at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing vessels to pass both sites without locking.
Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled to shut to navigation for about 120 days starting on June 1, effectively closing the river to commercial transport through the end of September.
Ohio River:
The main chamber at Racine Lock was scheduled to return from repairs on March 12. Lingering delays were counted up to six hours on March 14. The primary chamber at Hannibal Lock was reported shut through April 7, with wait times noted up to 30 hours.
At JT Meyers Lock, floating mooring repairs slated to run through Aug. 20 were noted triggering intermittent main chamber shutdowns. The auxiliary chamber at JT Meyers is due to shut Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 for miter gate repairs, followed by an additional main chamber closure on Sept. 11-Nov. 17.
The Greenup Lock primary chamber is closed March 12 through April 12. At Melville Lock, the secondary chamber is due to shut April 17 through Aug. 4.
Kentucky Lock, on the Tennessee River, saw delays in a wide 5-19 hour range. Wilson Lock passages required up to 22.5 hours to complete, Corps data showed.
Arkansas River:
Interlock system repairs scheduled at Maynard Lock will shut the site to navigation on April 10-14, sources said.