U.S. Gulf:
A navigational shutdown was reported in the Port Allen Route earlier in the week due to high water. Improving conditions allowed the Corps to resume navigation late on April 27, sources said.
During the Port Allen Route shutdown, vessels were detoured through Algiers Lock, where delays have swelled markedly in recent weeks due to tows being routed away from Harvey Lock, itself in the midst of a total shutdown through May 21 during repairs to the nearby 4th Street Bridge.
The Corps announced a temporary resumption of lockages through Harvey Lock on April 24-27 in order to ease Algiers delays, dropping waits to around 66 hours on April 27. Towing restrictions further slowed Algiers crossings, as unassisted tows were reportedly capped at four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn.
Repairs to the Port Allen Route’s Gross Tete Bridge, slated to run through May 15, were heard to continue during the shutdown. The project was scheduled to limit crossings to between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Local traffic was permitted to lock through Port Allen Lock despite the shutdown, sources said, although guidewall damage at the site continued to force size restrictions. Assist vessels were required on all westbound tows of two or more barges, while vessels traveling eastward were required to use assistance on tows measuring 650 feet or longer. Repairs at the site have precipitated sporadic four-hour closures between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., which are expected to continue through May 17.
Overnight closures continued through Bayou Chene for the week due to construction and diver operations, blocking travel nightly between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sources noted 6-12 hour delays. Bayou Sorrel Lock is shut to daylight-hour movements from April 21 through May 15, causing extensive delays.
High water conditions limited tow sizes on Gulf travel above New Orleans, reducing maximum capacity by 5-10 cargoes below the typical 25-barge limit. The river gauge at Baton Rouge, La., was reported at an action-stage 34.62 feet and falling on April 27, with levels expected to recede below action stage on May 2-3. A Flood Warning was issued on April 26 for the Mississippi River at Red River Landing.
Industrial Lock waits were quoted in the 5-12 hour range, and sources put Colorado Lock delays up to 10 hours for the week.
Mississippi River:
A tow grounding and subsequent breakup triggered a full halt to navigation at the lower Mississippi River’s Mile 753 early on April 23, sources said. Movements resumed late on April 24.
High water continued to impact travel between Cairo, Ill., and the Gulf, reducing barge counts by 5-10 units from the typical 25-barge maximum. Improving depth readings allowed for a return to 24-hour navigation through bridges at Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss., but persistent action-stage levels at Baton Rouge necessitated daylight-only bridge restrictions through that area.
Fleet inclusion at Cottonwood remained limited due to high water, sources reported, with requests considered on a tow-by-tow basis.
Revetment operations at Mile 770 blocked movements daily from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., prompting 12-24 hour slowdowns. The project is slated to conclude around May 31.
Overnight transit stoppages continued through the railroad bridge at Mile 699 on the upper river due to a COVID-related shortage of bridgetenders. Bridge construction at Mile 474 will completely block navigation on May 2-4.
Lock 2 is planned to undergo daily shutdowns for miter gate installation in July, causing 4-12 hour delays. Daily 12-hour Lock 25 closures for lower guidewall repairs are also planned in July and August. Navigation is expected to be limited from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
Ten-hour delays were reported at Lock 15 for the week, while boats passing Lock 18 and Lock 20 reported 5-6 hour passages on April 28. Waits were noted up to seven hours at Lock 22. Mel Price Lock wait times were heard up to six hours.
Illinois River:
Lockport Lock was shut to navigation from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on April 24. Hydraulic cylinder repair is expected to block Peoria Lock movements for up to 12 hours daily on May 8-9.
Falling water levels prompted a return to locking at both Peoria and LaGrange Locks for the week. Waits topped out around five hours at both sites, sources said.
Ohio River:
A gate malfunction prompted a main chamber outage at Emsworth Lock on April 23-26, sources said. Detours through the smaller auxiliary unit resulted in 6-12 hour delays.
Transit was unavailable through the Wellsburg Bridge, located at Mile 75.5 on the Ohio River, between 8:30 a.m. on April 26 and 6:00 p.m. on April 27, due to bridge construction.
The Meldahl Lock main chamber is set to close from May 11 through June 29 for miter gate repairs and maintenance, leaving vessels to pass through the secondary chamber. Previously scheduled to run from April 12 through June 11, sources are predicting notable delays when work is underway.
The Markland Lock auxiliary chamber has remained closed to navigation since early 2020, routing all traffic through the primary chamber. The secondary unit is tentatively set to return to service on Oct. 29. Repairs and maintenance have forced the New Cumberland Lock auxiliary chamber offline through June 10.
The Cannelton Lock main chamber is projected to shut from June 21 through Nov. 19 for repairs. Sources are predicting substantial delays while work is underway.
Decreased river flows prompted Olmsted Lock operators to raise wickets on April 22, ending travel through the site’s nonlocking navigational pass.
On the Tennessee River, the Wilson Lock primary chamber is scheduled to go offline for repairs on May 4-13, leaving passage available solely through the secondary chamber. The Corps announced a Chickamauga Lock shutdown for electrical work on May 3-24. Kentucky Lock delays were quoted up to 30 hours for the week.
The Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock is due to close for bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) repair from May 10 through July 15. The Corps is expected to open the site to navigation on three occasions over the course of the shutdown to pass waiting traffic.
Arkansas River:
The Corps scheduled a complete David D. Terry Lock shutdown for dewatering and repairs from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9. In advance of the closure, intermittent transit outages are anticipated over the Aug. 16-26 period.