U.S. Gulf:
Sources described Gulf travel as much improved for the week following the system-wide shutdowns noted in the prior report. Late-night and early-morning fog delays were reported slowing movements by 4-8 hours at a stretch throughout the week, while storms on Feb. 25 brought the potential for wind delays through the weekend, sources said.
Towing restrictions continued to be reported at Port Allen due to guidewall damage sustained in a January barge collision. Vessels traveling to the west were permitted to lock unassisted on lockages of one barge or fewer, while westbound tows with more than one barge required an assist vessel. Eastbound tows longer than 650 feet were required to use industry assistance. Delays at the site were reported in a wide 7-32 hour range for the week, softening from 61 hours previously.
Algiers Lock was closed from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 22 for dolphin repair. Towing restrictions persisted at the site on all lockages, limiting unassisted 60-foot-wide tows to 600 feet of length. Tows below 60 feet in width were allowed to pass without assistance on lengths up to 700 feet, sources said.
The limits at Algiers Lock effectively set maximum capacity at four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers, although longer tows were reportedly possible with an assist boat. Wait times were clocked below six hours for most of the week, but peaked above 25 hours on Feb. 22-23 due to the repair project.
Rigolets Bridge, located in the East Canal, is shut for repairs through March 12. A trio of daily openings were scheduled for 5:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. to allow passage to and from the Pearl River. Sources reported steady delays at the site.
Industrial Lock delays were generally reported in the 4-13 hour range, although intermittent waits were noted up to 15.5 hours. Sporadic 6-8 hour wait times were noted through the Colorado Floodgates, while boats passing Brazos Lock noted passages peaking above seven hours on Feb. 22.
Mississippi River:
Ice continued to trigger restrictions on tows between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., cutting northbound strings from a combined 15 loaded barges and nine empty barges to 15 loaded barges and three empties. All-empty tows were slashed by 20 percent, to 24 empty barges from 30. Tows traveling southbound were limited to 60 percent of normal capacity, reduced from the typical 25 loaded barges to 15, sources said.
Forecasts predicted rising water levels at St. Louis. Travel had been slowed in recent weeks due to levels threatening to dip below the 0.0-foot mark. The St. Louis river gauge was expected to rise to 7.7 feet on Feb. 27 after dropping to nearly (-)1.0 feet on Feb. 21-23. Levels registered at 0.03 feet on Feb. 24.
Dike work at the lower river’s Mile 770 is slated to begin in late February. Work at the site is projected to block southbound travel daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. once underway, and continue for roughly one month.
Repairs and annual maintenance to the Lock 27 main chamber, underway since Feb. 1, concluded during the week. Lingering delays continued to be heard up to 19 hours on Feb. 24, declining from the 50-hour wait times reported previously. Persistent ice accumulation was noted interfering with miter gate operation at the site, necessitating 105-foot width restrictions on all lockages.
Lock 21 was shuttered for repairs on Feb. 22-26. An additional repair shutdown is scheduled for March 8 through March 12. Lock 22 was closed on Feb. 16-26 for repairs, sources said. Mel Price Lock delays were quoted up to seven hours for the week.
Upper Mississippi River locks are shut for the winter navigation season. Reopening for spring is tentatively set to commence on March 15 with Locks 13-19, followed by Lock 25 as early as March 31.
Illinois River:
Navigation on the Illinois Waterway remained mostly halted for the week due to ongoing ice conditions. Traffic has been largely paused since Feb. 8, while the river’s remaining navigation has been limited to 89-foot widths since Feb. 11 through Marseilles Lock, Peoria Lock, Starved Rock Lock, and LaGrange Lock. Sources previously expected a tentative resumption of activity on the river starting around Feb. 24.
Utica Bridge demolition previously set for Feb. 17 remained on hold for the week due to ongoing cold weather. Travel will be unavailable through the area for at least 24 hours during the event.
Wickets were reported raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock for the week, slowing travel through both sites. Most vessels passed Peoria Lock in under five hours, while movements through LaGrange were delayed up to 13 hours.
Ohio River:
The Meldahl Lock main chamber is scheduled to shut from April 12 to June 11 for miter gate machinery repair, forcing traffic through the 600-foot secondary chamber. Delays are anticipated while the project is underway.
The auxiliary chamber at Markland Lock is scheduled to remain shut through Oct. 29 due to cracks in the miter gate. Transit has continued unabated through the primary chamber, with minimal delays reported.
A Smithland Lock secondary chamber project underway since Feb. 1 has one of the lock’s two auxiliary units offline through approximately March 1. The second auxiliary chamber at Smithland is slated to shut for 30 days starting around March 1, with work tentatively set to conclude on April 1.
The New Cumberland Lock auxiliary chamber is projected to shut from March 8 through June 10. Navigation will remain available through the main chamber while the project is underway.
The Greenup Lock primary chamber closed for repairs on Feb. 19 and is set to remain offline through March 5, forcing traffic through the secondary chamber. Following the main chamber project, repairs to the auxiliary chamber are scheduled to run from March 11 through April 11.
Navigation through the Cannelton Lock primary chamber will be unavailable starting on June 21. Sources are expecting significant backups through the duration of the project, scheduled through Nov. 21.
Rising water levels at Olmsted Lock prompted lowered wickets during the week, allowing vessels to transit without locking via the navigational pass. Sources reported delays at Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock in a 6-20 hour range.
The Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock will close to navigation from April 12 through June 21, sources noted. A total of four three-day openings are scheduled during the shutdown to pass any assembled traffic, sources said. Barkley Lock is scheduled to close to daylight-hour movements from March 22 through April 2 for repairs to the carp-deterring bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) system.