U.S. Gulf:
Towing restrictions persisted at Port Allen Lock for the week as lock operators contended with guidewall damage sustained during a recent barge collision.
Until repairs at Port Allen are completed, vessels traveling westward are only permitted to lock unassisted while towing a maximum of one barge per turn. Tows with more than one barge are required to utilize an assist vessel. Eastbound tows were required to use assistance on lockages longer than 650 feet.
Dolphin repair work was reported halting Algiers Lock movements from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 22. Towing restrictions will remain in force through Algiers until further notice, limiting unassisted tows measuring wider than 60 feet to 600-foot lengths. Unassisted tows below 60 feet wide are permitted to run lengths up to 700 feet, sources said, effectively capping lockages at four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers.
A collision prompted a navigation shutdown at the East Canal’s Rigolets Bridge, closing the structure for an estimated seven days. The repair operation had been expected to begin on Jan. 22, sources said, blocking access to the Pearl River.
Sources noted severe nightly fog delays beginning on Jan. 21, which slowed or stopped movements altogether for 8-12 hour stretches. Conditions were reportedly improving on Jan. 27.
Most Port Allen Lock delays were reported in a 5-15 hour range for the week, although sources noted intermittent delays stretching to as high as 39 hours. Industrial Lock waits were reported in a wide 7-25 hours, while Algiers Lock crossings peaked at 11 hours on Jan. 25-26. Tows passing Brazos Lock were delayed up to 28 hours during the week.
Mississippi River:
Sources reported a Jan. 24 shutdown at Mile 856-866 on the lower Mississippi River after a tow ran aground. The stuck barges were quickly lifted and freed, sources said, reopening the waterway roughly 24 hours later, on Jan. 25.
Revetment operations at Mile 208 concluded on Jan. 23, returning the area to normal navigation. The operation reportedly shifted to Mile 306, where southbound movements were projected to be blocked during daylight hours. Northbound travel requests were being considered on a tow-by-tow basis.
Rising water levels at the St. Louis river gauge were expected to ease a recent spate of low-water-related slowdowns between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. The gauge was at 3.81 feet and rising on Jan. 27, and was expected to crest at 6.2 feet on Jan. 28 before dropping again.
The upper river’s Lock 27 auxiliary chamber was scheduled to return from planned repairs and maintenance on Jan. 30. The site’s main chamber will shut on Feb. 1-18 for maintenance, leading sources to predict delays.
Locks located on the upper Mississippi River are closed for the winter season. Spring reopening is tentatively set to begin on March 25 with Locks 13-19, followed by Lock 25 as early as March 31. Lock 27 delays were quoted up to 17.5 hours for the week.
Illinois River:
Thinning ice on the Illinois River prompted a lifting of requirements to utilize ice couplings. Falling temperatures later in the week were expected to necessitate a return to mandatory measures, sources said.
Planned demolition of the Utica Bridge, located at Mile 229.6, was rescheduled twice during the week, first to Jan. 29 from the previous Jan. 27 date, and then again to Feb. 11. Transit through the bridge is projected to be unavailable for at least 24 hours due to the event.
Raised wickets continued to be reported at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, slowing movement through those sites. Delays were noted up to eight hours through Peoria Lock, while sources quoted LaGrange Lock waits at 7-15 hours on Jan. 25-26.
Ohio River:
The Emsworth Lock primary chamber was scheduled to return from repairs on Jan. 27, sources said. Vessels were noted passing through the auxiliary chamber while work was underway, effecting delays up to 22.5 hours for the week.
The Markland Lock secondary chamber is anticipated to remain shut through Oct. 29 due to structural damage to the miter gate. Transit remains available through the site’s primary chamber, with few delays expected.
The Corps will shut Meldahl Lock’s 1,200-foot main chamber on Feb. 1-11 for fill valve repair, leaving traffic to detour through the secondary chamber. The main chamber will shut again from April 12 to June 11 to repair miter gate machinery. Delays are expected while both projects are underway.
Smithland Lock’s two auxiliary chambers will undergo consecutive repair and maintenance shutdowns starting on Feb. 1. The chambers will close for 30 days in turn, concluding on approximately April 1. Lockages are anticipated to continue uninterrupted through the main chamber.
The New Cumberland Lock secondary chamber is scheduled to go offline from March 8 through June 10. Sources predicted navigation to remain available through the primary chamber while work is underway.
Greenup Lock will undergo a secondary chamber shutdown from March 11 through April 11, followed by a primary chamber closure from May 10 through June 11. During the main chamber shutdown, traffic will pass through the site’s 600-foot auxiliary chamber, triggering considerable delays.
The main chamber at Cannelton Lock will close to navigation from June 21 through Nov. 19, leading sources to warn of extended backups.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock saw delays up to 4-10 hours for the week, sources said. On the Monongahela River, Braddock Lock was reported returning to normal operation on Jan. 26. Sources previously described a series of intermittent eight-hour daytime shutdowns stretching back to Jan. 11.
Cheatham Lock, on the Cumberland River, will shut to navigation from April 12 through June 21, sources noted. The Corps will pepper a number of three-day openings throughout the shutdown to pass any waiting traffic, sources said.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock is scheduled to shut for repairs from 6:00 a.m. on Feb. 2 through 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 6. Movement is expected to be completely blocked while work is underway, effectively blocking tows from entering and exiting the Arkansas River.