US Gulf:
Calcasieu Lock
guidewall repairs, previously scheduled to conclude on March 3, were extended
through April 6. The project blocked daytime travel during weekdays, resulting
in delays up to six hours on March 6, down from 10-27 hours reported
previously.
Colorado Lock repairs
begun on Dec. 5 were reported stopping travel between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.,
precipitating delays up to 11 hours. Work at the site was scheduled to wrap up
on March 10.
New shutdowns were
announced at the Belle Chasse Bridge due to ongoing bridge replacement efforts.
Following five nonconsecutive days of shutdowns reported during the Feb.
20-March 2 period, passage through the structure, located at Mile 3.8 of the
Algiers Canal, was scheduled to be unavailable on March 8 and 10. More travel
outages are expected in late March and April.
Intermittent
shutdowns were scheduled to begin in mid-April at the Morgan City Railroad
Bridge, located at Mile 121 in the West Canal. The shutdowns were projected to
continue through June.
Work at Algiers Lock was penciled to run early March through mid-April,
triggering roughly 20 days of daylight-hour shutdowns. Most delays were noted
falling in a 4-11 hour range through the early week.
Corps data put Port Allen Lock wait times up to 14 hours, while Bayou
Sorrel Lock travel was quoted up to five hours through the week. Industrial Lock transits
ran in a wide 12-48 hour range, sources said.
Mississippi
River:
Bucking earlier predictions of a return to normal levels, waters were
reported rising on the lower Mississippi River.
Vicksburg depths tracked above the 35-foot action stage at 35.75 feet on
March 6. The NWS forecasted a crest at 39.4 feet on March 16, expecting levels
to hold above action stage into late March. Levels at Baton Rouge were expected
to cross the 30-foot action-stage threshold on March 7, en route to a 34.5-foot
reading on March 20, just shy of the region’s 35.0-foot minor-flood stage. The
NWS projected the Memphis gauge to rise into action-stage territory on March
7-15.
The main chambers at Chain of Rocks Lock and Mel Price Lock were shut for
repairs and maintenance through March 17 and March 31, respectively, forcing
tows to pass through the auxiliary chambers at both locations. Chain of Rocks
delays topped out around seven hours, while waits at Mel Price were observed up
to 12.5 hours.
Upper-river locks shut for the winter navigation season have been in the
process of reopening since Feb. 26. Locks 12, 13, 15, and 19 were scheduled to
begin lockages on March 3, followed by Locks 3 and 4 on March 12. The upper
river is slated to fully reopen by April 1, conditions permitting.
Illinois River:
Water levels continued to rise on the Illinois River during the week,
sources said. Navigation remained particularly hard-hit above Starved Rock,
located at Mile 231, with both slower running speeds and bridge clearance
difficulties reported as a result.
Wickets were in the lowered position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due
to the high water, allowing tows to pass both locations without locking. Wait
times at Marseilles Lock ran up to seven hours, Corps data showed, while boats
needed up to six hours to pass Starved Rock Lock.
The Illinois River is scheduled to close to commercial travel from June
to September for lock repairs and maintenance.
Ohio River:
High water was also reported
to affect travel on the Ohio River during the week. The Cincinnati gauge was
noted at 39.27 feet and rising on March 6, just shy of the area’s 40.0-foot
action stage. Levels were expected to crest at 40.0 feet on March 6-7.
The Racine Lock main chamber was closed for maintenance from Feb. 26 to
March 12, with minimal delays reported on March 6. The Hannibal Lock main
chamber was closed to navigation through April 7, driving delays in a wide 7-27
hour range during the week.
Floating mooring repairs at JT Meyers Lock will run through Aug. 20, with
intermittent shutdowns expected. Following the main chamber closure, tows will
lose access to the site’s secondary chamber between Aug. 21 and Sept. 10 due to
miter gate repairs, after which the main chamber will close once again from
Sept. 11 to Nov. 17.
Greenup Lock will shut its primary chamber March 12 through April 12. The
auxiliary chamber at Melville Lock is scheduled to go offline April 17 through
Aug. 4.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock waits tracked in a wide 6-26 hour
range during the week. Pickwick Landing Lock delays ran as high as 16.5 hours.
Arkansas River:
Maynard Lock is scheduled to shut on April 10-14 for repairs to the
site’s interlock system.
