U.S. Gulf:
Construction activities prompted a navigation shutdown through Industrial Lock on Feb. 8 spanning 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lengthy delays continued to be reported on Feb. 10, with tows noted queueing more than 50 hours to pass.
Repairs to the Port Allen Lock guidewall damaged in a January barge collision prompted ongoing towing restrictions during the week. Westbound vessels traveling with more than one barge were required to lock with an assist vessel, while tows passing without an assist boat were limited to one barge per turn. Eastbound tows longer than 650 feet were required to utilize an assist vessel. Wait times were generally reported in the 10-24 hour range for the week.
Towing restrictions at Algiers Lock remained in effect for the week. Vessels with tow configurations wider than 60 feet were limited to 600-foot lengths, while tows running shy of 60-foot widths were permitted lengths up to 700 feet. Sources described the restrictions as essentially capping tows to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Algiers Lock dolphin repair scheduled for Feb. 22 was projected to halt travel from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sources described ongoing repairs to the Rigolets Bridge, located in the East Canal, projected to run through March 12. The work limited access to the Pearl River to three openings per day. Vessels were green-lighted to pass the structure at 5:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.
Sources reported thick fog halting overnight movements throughout the Gulf and Canals on Feb. 8. Forecasts predicted a repeat of overnight slowdowns continuing through Feb. 11.
Delays at Algiers Lock were noted up to six hours for the week, while intermittent 12-hour waits were reported through the Colorado Locks system. Brazos Lock delays were quoted up to 23.5 hours.
Mississippi River:
Dike work planned at Mile 770 on the lower Mississippi River will reportedly block southbound movements daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in late February.
Main chamber work kicked off on Feb. 1 at the upper river’s Lock 27, completely blocking movements through the chamber. Detours were available through the smaller auxiliary unit, with delays quoted up to 43 hours for the week. Work at the site is set to run through Feb. 18.
Upper river locks that are currently closed for the winter are tentatively scheduled to begin opening to spring navigation on March 15. Locks 13-19 will be the first to resume navigation, while Lock 25 will restart lockages as early as March 31, weather permitting.
Illinois River:
Reported “arctic” conditions and rapidly worsening ice floes on the Illinois Waterway led to severe towing restrictions during the week. Cold weather that is expected to persist for 10-14 days prompted cuts to barge counts. As a precautionary measure, some shippers reportedly suspended travel altogether until conditions improve.
The icy conditions on Feb. 8 prompted width restrictions at Marseilles Lock, Starved Rock Lock, Peoria Lock, and LaGrange Lock, limiting tows to 89 feet, or about six barges per tow.
Overnight transit stoppages were reported at Mile 47 for dredging operations on Feb. 10-16. Traffic was noted passing unobstructed during daytime hours.
Demolition of Utica Bridge, located at Mile 230, was postponed from Feb. 11 due to cold weather. A new date for the project has not yet been announced. Area travel was anticipated to be unavailable for at least 24 hours while work is underway.
Wickets remained up at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock. Wait times at Peoria Lock were noted up to nine hours, while 25-hour delays were observed through LaGrange during the week.
Ohio River:
The primary chamber at Meldahl Lock is slated to reopen on Feb. 12 after shutting on Feb. 1 for fill valve repairs. An additional machinery gate repair project previously on the books for Feb. 22 through April 30 was rescheduled for April 12 through June 12. Sources predicted substantial delays while the project is underway.
The secondary chamber at Markland Lock is closed through Oct. 29 due to structural miter gate damage, sources said. Tows have continued to lock through the primary chamber, with minimal delays reported. The chamber was offline through the majority of 2020.
Auxiliary chamber closures at Smithland Lock were reported to begin on Feb. 1. The project will see consecutive 30-day shutdowns of the lock’s two secondary chambers, scheduled to conclude on approximately April 1. Transit will remain available via the main chamber, with minimal delays expected.
New Cumberland Lock is set to see a secondary lock chamber closure from March 8 through June 10. Sources said an emergency secondary chamber closure at Greenup Lock halted movements on Feb. 9-15. The main chamber remained available for passage, with delays noted up to seven hours on Feb. 10.
The primary chamber Greenup Lock was previously slated to shut from Feb. 11 through March 11. Sources expected the main chamber project to begin following the conclusion of auxiliary chamber work. A second auxiliary chamber shutdown is tentatively scheduled to run from March 11 through April 11.
The Cannelton Lock main chamber is scheduled to shut from June 21 through Nov. 19. Sources are expecting considerable delays.
Falling water levels prompted Olmsted Lock operators to begin raising wickets on Feb. 10. Once fully raised, traffic was expected to reroute through the lock chamber, ending a period of lockless travel reported one week earlier.
The Tennessee River’s Watts Bar Lock returned to normal navigation on Feb. 5 following a weeklong stretch of daily four-hour shutdowns. Kentucky Lock passages were typically quoted in the 3-7 hour range for the week.
On the Cumberland River, Cheatham Lock is scheduled for a main chamber shutdown from April 12 through June 21. The Corps expects to schedule four openings to pass waiting vessels while the project is underway.
Arkansas River:
Navigation resumed through Norrell Lock, located at Mile 10, at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 6, ending a repair operation that began on Feb. 2.