U.S. Gulf:
A sunken barge reported at Mile 236 in the West Canal on Jan. 30 resulted in alternating one-way travel restrictions through the site, sources said. Salvage operations scheduled to kick off on Feb. 1 were projected to close the area to navigation until the clearance operation is completed. Delays were noted in the 15-69 hour range for the week.
Sources reported continued towing restrictions at Port Allen Lock after a barge collided with the site’s guidewall in January, damaging the structure. Tows traveling in the westbound direction with more than one barge were required to use an assist vessel, while vessels locking without assistance were capped at one barge per turn. Eastbound vessels longer than 650 feet were required to lock with an assist vessel. Sources reported intermittent delays in the 6-19 hour range.
Length restrictions were also ongoing through Algiers Lock, with tows greater than 60 feet in width limited to 600-foot lengths. Vessels with widths under 60 feet were permitted 700-foot tows. The restrictions effectively limited lockages to four dry barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per tow. Dolphin repair scheduled for Feb. 22 will close the lock from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., sources said.
Repairs in progress at the Rigolets Bridge in the East Canal were reported limiting access to the Pearl River to three openings per day. Vessels were permitted to pass the 1930s-era structure daily at 5:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. through March 12.
Shippers reported mostly good daytime travel conditions for the week, although seasonal fog-related slowdowns continued to play a factor in overnight travel.
Bayou Sorrel Lock waits were noted up to five hours, while Industrial Lock delays were typically clocked at six hours or less. Boats transiting Bayou Boeuf Lock reported 4-7 hour delays on Feb. 2, and Colorado Lock passages ran in the 5-7 hour range. Shippers reported sporadic Brazos Lock delays as high as 16 hours during the week.
Mississippi River:
Sources noted revetment operations underway at Mile 306 limiting southbound travel during daytime hours. Northbound travel was permitted on a case-by-case basis.
Auxiliary chamber maintenance at Lock 27 concluded on Jan. 29, briefly normalizing movement through the site ahead of a planned Feb. 1-18 primary chamber closure. Although substantial delays have been predicted as the project continues, waits were noted topping out below 12 hours for the week.
Upper Mississippi River travel is unavailable for the winter navigation season. Upper river locks are set to resume operation as early as March 15, starting with Locks 13-19, while Lock 25 could begin spring lockages as soon as March 31, weather permitting.
Illinois River:
Lake Peoria ice coverage was reported up to three inches thick on the upper pool, prompting strong recommendations for the use of ice couplings through the early week. Extreme temperatures in the forecast for the entirety of the Illinois Waterway were projected to trigger new ice coupling requirements at all locks, with the exception of Brandon Road Lock. The updated requirements were projected to kick in on Feb. 6.
Demolition of the Utica Bridge at Mile 229.6 on the Illinois River remains on track for Feb. 11, sources noted. Transit through the area is likely to be interrupted for at least 24 hours due to the event. The project has been continually delayed from its original December schedule.
Wickets remained in the raised position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to reduced water levels, triggering delays of up to six hours at both sites. Six-hour delays were also quoted on Marseilles Lock travel.
Ohio River:
The auxiliary chamber at Markland Lock is shut through Oct. 29 due to structural damage to the chamber’s miter gate, sources said. The chamber was offline for the majority of 2020, although tows have been able to pass through the lock’s primary chamber.
The Meldahl Lock main chamber is set to close to navigation on Feb. 1-11 for fill valve repairs, sources said. The chamber will shut again on April 12 through June 11 to conduct miter gate machinery repairs. Delays are expected during both closures.
Smithland Lock is scheduled to undergo consecutive shutdowns of the site’s two secondary lock chambers for maintenance and repairs. The work is slated to run from Feb. 1 through approximately April 1, during which navigation will continue through the main chamber. Sources are anticipating minimal delays.
The secondary chamber at New Cumberland Lock is scheduled to go offline on March 8 through June 10. Passage is anticipated to remain available through the primary chamber, limiting delays.
Greenup Lock is scheduled to shut its main chamber on Feb. 11 through March 11 for miter gate machinery repairs, pushed forward from the previous May 10-June 11 schedule. Transit will remain available via the smaller secondary chamber, with lengthy delays expected, although sources warned of intermittent full-lock shutdowns as well. Following the main chamber project, the site’s auxiliary chamber will close on March 11 through April 11, with traffic continuing to pass through the primary chamber.
Navigation will be unavailable through the Cannelton Lock primary chamber on June 21 through Nov. 19, triggering delay predictions. Increased flows prompted Olmsted Lock operators to lower wickets during the week, sources noted, allowing tows to pass the site via the non-locking navigational pass.
On the Tennessee River, Watts Bar Lock saw intermittent four-hour shutdowns daily through Feb. 4. Sporadic Kentucky Lock delays were also noted at 4-9 hours for the week, sources said.
The Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock will see a main chamber closure on April 12 through June 21. The Corps will open the site to pass waiting vessels four times during the shutdown, remaining open three days on each occasion. The opening windows remained unscheduled on Feb. 3, sources said.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock, located at Mile 10 on the Arkansas River, closed to navigation at 6:00 a.m. on Feb. 2 for repair operations, effectively blocking tows from entering and exiting the river. Movements were scheduled to resume at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 6.