US Gulf:
Intermittent fog delays slowed movements throughout the Gulf for up to 12 hours at a stretch during the week. The conditions were forecast to begin improving on March 8. Emergency repairs at Calcasieu Lock forced daytime shutdowns on March 2-8, pushing delays to 13 hours.
Unplanned repairs continued at the Black Bayou Bridge, blocking weekday navigation from 5-8 a.m. and again from 4-7 p.m. Travel was unavailable on Saturday and Sunday from 6-8 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. No expected completion date was reported on March 6.
Dive operations that were reportedly limiting daytime travel through Colorado Lock were expected to wrap up on March 6. Intermittent delays were noted in a wide 1-4 day range for the week, rising from 5-23 hours at last report.
Bayou Sorrel Lock guidewall repairs restricted movements between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, pushing waits as high as 34 hours. Drawbridge repairs underway at the Ellender Bridge, located at Mile 243 of the West Canal, will block weekday navigation from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 12.
Bayou Boeuf Lock repairs previously set for mid-March were rescheduled for April 1-30, sources said. The project will now entail weekday shutdowns from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., in addition to a pair of total navigation outages scheduled for April 2-5 and April 9-12.
Despite a predicted Feb. 29 end to daytime shutdowns at Brazos Lock, wait times through the site were reported in the 1-3 day range during the week. Tows were restricted to a single loaded barge or two empty barges per pass, sources said.
Port Allen Lock waits ran up to five hours, Corps data indicated, while boats transiting Industrial Lock waited up to 67 hours to pass. Intermittent five-hour delays were noted at Algiers Lock.
Mississippi River:
Loading drafts were reduced by roughly 10% on travel through the St. Louis area, sources said, while maximum drafts were cut by 5-10% for boats moving between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. Reported at 0.7 feet on March 6, the St. Louis river gauge was forecast to decline to (-)2.4 feet on March 27-29.
Upper Mississippi River Locks began opening for spring navigation on March 4, sources said. The final lock is slated to resume lockages on March 16, conditions permitting. Cargoes destined for upper-river docks began departing from New Orleans in the second week of February, while upriver tows were expected to begin releasing from St. Louis during the first two weeks of March.
Delays were quoted up to eight hours through both Mel Price Lock and Lock 27 during the week. On the lower river, dredging kicked off in the Southwest Pass on March 3. Slated to work between Mile 0 and Mile 22, the dredge will operate 24/7 through an estimated Aug. 31, according to a Coast Guard posting.
Illinois River:
Maximum loading drafts continued at 9-10 feet on the Illinois River, sources said, depending on location and direction of travel. Marseilles Lock travel was unavailable on March 5-6 due to miter gate repairs, prompting 27-hour waits.
Due to low water levels, wickets remained in the raised position at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, resulting in delays of seven hours and 19 hours, respectively. Boats waited up to seven hours to pass Starved Rock Lock.
Ohio River:
Meldahl Lock waits were posted up 27 hours due to an ongoing main chamber shutdown, rising from 21 hours at last report. Repair efforts could continue through the end of March, sources said.
Greenup Lock valve repairs are on the books for March 4 through April 12. Planned maintenance at Markland Lock and Cannelton Lock will run from April 22 through June 7 at both sites, while Markland Lock will see an additional shutdown on June 10-28 for miter gate repairs.
Machinery work at Racine Lock is scheduled for June 1 through July 11, and dewatering and miter gate work at Hannibal Lock is likely to delay travel between June 15 and Nov. 7. Belleville Lock will face nonconcurrent main and auxiliary chamber shutdowns lasting 30 days each during the second half of the year.
Wait times were noted up to 19 hours through the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock, while tows waited up to 13 hours to pass Wilson Lock. Old Hickory Lock, on the Cumberland River, will close to overnight travel on March 18-31, followed by a complete shutdown running from April 1 through May 9.
Arkansas River:
Repairs to the Van Buren Bridge are tentatively scheduled to begin on April 15 and continue for approximately 18 days. Waiting vessels will be allowed to transit the site on April 24 or 25, sources said. The bridge is located at Mile 300.8 of the Arkansas River.