U.S. Gulf:
Navigation reportedly resumed through Bayou Sorrel Lock on June 12, following a shutdown due to high water that kicked off on May 11. The falling water levels allowed Port Allen Lock travel to begin normalizing as well, ending an on-again, off-again spate of local-only navigation for much of the previous month. A dredge at Bayou Sorrel on June 10 was projected to work through July 8, with limited impact to travel expected.
With vessels slowly diverting from their previous detour through Algiers, Port Allen Lock delays were quoted at 5-13 hours on June 15. Guidewall damage at Port Allen Lock was noted limiting unassisted tows traveling to the west to a single barge per turn, while westbound boats with two or more cargoes in tow were required to use an assist vessel. Eastbound tows measuring longer than 650 feet were required to utilize an assist boat.
Passage through Algiers Lock is currently limited to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers on unassisted lockages. Thinning congestion has positively impacted travel times through that site, but 10-25 hour delays persisted during the week. The resumption of navigation through the Port Allen Route was projected to slowly reduce Algiers Lock delays to normal levels over the next two weeks.
Bayou Chene movements remained unavailable between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. through the early week due to ongoing construction and dive activities. Overnight delays in the 6-12 hour range were reported, while a requirement to use an assist vessel was in place for all travel through the waterway. The restrictions were scheduled to end on June 15.
Sources reported keeping an eye on water levels in the Baton Rouge area, where the river gauge showed depths just shy of the 30-foot action stage on June 15. A move above the 30-foot mark would likely require a return to barge-count restrictions, as well as possible overnight limits on travel through area bridges.
Industrial Lock delays were generally noted in the 10-19 hour range for the week, with a handful of intermittent waits reported up to 51 hours. Travel through Bayou Boeuf Lock carried wait times up to eight hours, while boats passing the Brazos Locks system reported delays as high as 29.5 hours for the period.
A tropical disturbance tracked by the National Hurricane Center in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on June 17 was expected to strengthen into a named storm by June 19.
Mississippi River:
Sources reported an early-week transit interruption at the Upper Mississippi River’s La Crosse Railroad Bridge, located at Mile 699. Normal navigation patterns were noted resuming on June 14.
Dredging operations continued at Mile 757 during the week, slowing navigation through the area during daylight hours.
Repairs to the Burlington Railroad Bridge, located near Mile 410 on the upper river, required at least one hour of advanced notice to secure travel through the lock. The restrictions were in place daily between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., with expectations of a continuance into second-half June.
Lock 2 remains tentatively scheduled for miter gate repairs in July, sources noted, likely shutting the area to daylight-hour travel for intermittent 4-12 hour windows. A guidewall repair project is anticipated to halt daytime travel through Lock 25 in both July and August. Travel was likely to be affected daily between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Lock 21 delays were reported in the 5-15 hour range, while six-hour delays were noted through Lock 24. Waits were described at 2-9 hours through Lock 25, while boats passing Lock 27 experienced intermittent 5-7 hour delays.
Illinois River:
Brandon Road Lock, located at Mile 289 on the Illinois Waterway, was projected to undergo a four-hour transit shutdown on June 22, blocking movements between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Sources reported raised wickets at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock for the week due to falling river levels, prompting a return to locking through both structures.
Ohio River:
Main chamber repairs were underway through June 29 at Meldahl Lock, forcing travel through the site’s 600-foot auxiliary chamber on a 24-hour schedule. Delays for the week were heard in the 5-13 hour range. Sources expected intermittent full-lock shutdowns sprinkled throughout the project.
Normal operation resumed through the New Cumberland Lock secondary chamber on June 11, sources said, ending a lengthy period of maintenance and repairs.
Structural cracks observed at the Markland Lock secondary-chamber miter will reportedly keep that unit closed to navigation through Oct. 29. Traffic has been unable to lock through the secondary chamber since early 2020, although unobstructed access has continued through the primary chamber.
Cannelton Lock is scheduled to begin main chamber maintenance and repairs on June 21, forcing vessels to pass through the secondary chamber. The project is slated to conclude on Nov. 19, with substantial delays anticipated through the entirety of the operation.
The Montgomery Lock main chamber is due to shut from July 26 through Aug. 24 for repairs, leaving tows to lock through the secondary chamber. The Corp reported that the Montgomery main chamber will shut once more for the year, between Oct. 18 and Dec. 17.
The primary lock chamber at Braddock Lock is set to close from Sept. 13 through Oct. 15, leaving vessels to pass through the secondary unit. Main chamber travel will be unavailable at Willow Lock for the entire month of October.
The Tennessee River’s Guntersville and Nickajac Locks were reportedly shut for lock inspection from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on June 14-17. Wilson Lock is scheduled to close for inspection during similar hours on June 28-July 1. Kentucky Lock delays were reported as high as 29 hours on June 16-17.
Repairs to the Cumberland River’s bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) system at Cheatham Lock were scheduled to fully block navigation on June 14-24, June 28-July 1, and July 12-22.
Arkansas River:
Towing restrictions continued on the Arkansas River for the week due to persistent high water levels, resulting in maximum tow lengths slashed by 3-6 barges from the typical 12-cargo limit. Forecasts for a potential return to full capacity were revised from the previous June 13 to a broader late-June window.
David D. Terry Lock remains on the books to shut for a complete dewatering and repair operation lasting from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9, halting all river travel at the site. In addition to the full closure, intermittent delays were expected on Aug. 16-26.