US Gulf:
Port Allen Lock will close to navigation from July 30 through Aug. 3 and again on Aug. 12-15 for miter gate repair. The lock was completely shut for nearly one month following a March 28 miter gate hinge anchorage failure. Travel through the Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge will be unavailable from 8 p.m. on July 20 through 4 a.m. on July 21, sources said.
Guidewall repairs underway at Bayou Sorrel Lock are scheduled to run through Oct. 30, slowing travel from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Delays were quoted up to 37 hours during the week, increasing from 30 hours at last report.
Brazos Lock repairs restricted weekday movements between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Most delays topped out around the six-hour mark, according to Corps data, though a handful of tows waited up to 10.5 hours to pass the site. The project is slated to run through October.
Repairs to the Houston area’s San Jacinto River Bridge will continue through at least July, sources said. Traffic is limited to single-width configurations through the western side of the channel, while the channel’s eastern side is completely closed to navigation.
Port Allen Lock waits were quoted up to 14 hours, and tows waited up to 32 hours to pass Industrial Lock. Algiers Lock transits topped out above the five-hour mark on July 17, according to Corps data, and intermittent 5-17 hour delays were noted at Colorado Lock. Sources noted a handful of 5-10 hour waits at Brazos Lock.
Mississippi River:
High water levels on the Mississippi River since late June were improving during the week.
The river gauge at St. Louis was forecast to fall below the 28-foot action stage on July 19. Locks 12-13 and 16-17 were projected to reopen from high-water closures on July 19 or 20, while Lock 20 reportedly returned to service on July 16. Sources said tow sizes continued to be reduced by approximately 20% at Miles 0-200 of the upper river, however.
Farther north, the St. Paul, Minn., gauge fell below that area’s 10-foot action stage on July 16, while the Minnesota River gauge at Savage, Minn., was posted at an action-stage 700.4 feet and falling on July 18. Levels at Savage were projected to move below action stage on July 24.
Work at Mile 759 of the lower river triggered southbound closures from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The project is anticipated to run through Sept. 18. Travel was unavailable through the Fort Madison Bridge between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 14. The closures are scheduled to repeat on July 28 and Aug. 1.
Lock 21 will shut to daytime navigation on Aug. 13, sources said. On the Cumberland River, Old Hickory Lock is offline through Aug. 1 for hydraulic line replacement. Old Hickory was previously closed to daytime travel on June 10-27.
Illinois River:
Shoaling blocked travel at Mile 88 of the Illinois River during the week, sources said. Dredging was expected to begin on July 18 or 19 in the hope of reopening the channel on July 20. Maximum loading drafts continued at 9.5 feet for Miles 1-231 and 9.0 feet above Mile 231.
Dresden Island Lock is slated to close to navigation on July 24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a control systems upgrade, according to a Corps posting.
Ohio River:
Towing reductions continued on the Ohio River due to low water levels. Drafts were reduced 5-10% depending on location and direction of travel
McAlpine Lock is closed to downriver travel from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 30, with delays reported up to 13 hours. The Markland Lock main chamber is offline for 19 hours daily through Aug. 2, forcing detours through the secondary chamber. The closures are scheduled to repeat on Aug. 12 through Sept. 6.
The primary chamber at Hannibal Lock is shut for miter gate repairs through Nov. 8, forcing 10-24 hour waits.
The John T. Myers Lock main chamber is scheduled to close from Aug. 21 through Nov. 9. A similar outage in October 2023 produced four-day delays. Belleville Lock will undergo alternating 30-day main and auxiliary chamber shutdowns before the end of the year.
Daily shutdowns were reported at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through July 24 for gate fender replacement, triggering waits up to 15 hours. Daily Wilson Lock closures slated to end on July 18 also blocked daytime travel, resulting in delays as high as 22 hours. The shutdowns at Wilson Lock are scheduled to repeat on July 22 through Aug. 8.
Arkansas River:
Van Buren Bridge repairs were reportedly shortened to Aug. 22-Sept. 8 from Aug 16.-Sept. 8, and will completely close the site to navigation. The Corps is said to be planning a single bridge opening to pass queued vessels sometime after the ninth day of work. Webbers Falls Lock is scheduled to shut from Aug. 26 through Sept. 8 for miter gate inspection.