U.S. Gulf:
Travel restrictions persisted through Bayou Boeuf Lock, restricting weekday navigation to between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Twenty-four hour access resumed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Floodgate construction underway at Bayou Chene limited travel to daylight hours only, according to a Coast Guard posting. Bayou Chene was accessible daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to tows under 600 feet in length, while tows with widths above 54 feet were required to use an assist vessel. Delay were projected in a general 6-12 hour range.
Shoaling at Miles 113-116 on the Atchafalaya River, located in the Morgan City area, prompted draft restrictions through the area, according to a Coast Guard posting. Drafts were capped at 10 feet, with tow lengths limited to 600 feet of length and 70 feet of width. Tows longer than 400 feet were strongly encourage to travel with an assist vessel.
Size restrictions at Algiers Lock remained in place, with limits on both vessel lengths and widths effectively reducing unassisted lockages to four standard barges, or two 30,000 mt tankers per pass. Larger tows were permitted through the lock when traveling with an assist vessel.
Construction in progress through the end of the year at the Belle Chasse Bridge was noted triggering intermittent delays up to 12 hours at a time. The structure is located at Mile 3 in the West Canal, near Algiers Lock.
Port Allen Lock delays were quoted up to 18 hours for the week. Most wait times at Bayou Sorrel Lock were indicated in the 6-11 hour range, while Industrial Lock passage required up to nine hours. Intermittent Algiers Lock delays were logged up to 25 hours.
Mississippi River:
Persistent low water levels at St. Louis were noted extending draft restrictions on the lower Mississippi River. Tows moving in the downriver direction were noted operating at a maximum 10 feet of draft, while northbound tows were capped at 9.5 feet. The river gauge at St. Louis was reported at (-)0.33 feet on Feb. 2, with levels forecast to rise slightly above of the 0.0-foot mark on Feb. 15.
Work to reinforce the channel at Mile 642 on the lower river was slated to run into late February. Southbound movements were expected to see delays up to 12 hours while the project is underway.
On the upper river, sources reported a main chamber outage at Mel Price Lock during the week, with dive operations underway. Navigation remained available via the auxiliary chamber, with delays noted up to five hours.
Travel was unavailable through Locks 1-20 during the week due to ongoing seasonal shutdowns. Delays were reported up to 12 hours through Lock 21. Corps data showed no lockages recorded through Locks 22 or 24 during the week.
The Corps was noted pushing back the upper river’s March reopening. Previously set to begin spring navigation over the March 3-21 period, most locks are now tentatively set to resume lockages on March 22, conditions permitting.
Illinois River:
Ice formations continued to impact navigation on the Illinois Waterway, slowing average transit speeds and reducing maximum barge counts.
Ice couplings were required through all locks on the river. Intermittent Peoria Lock delays were reported in the 4-8 hour range due to icy conditions, while LaGrange Lock waits were recorded up to 27 hours on Feb. 1-2.
Brandon Road Lock repairs and maintenance will impact movements through the site from May 9 through Sept. 8, a Corps posting indicated. Tows will be limited to 70-foot widths, with lockages available during overnight hours only between May 9 and Aug. 14.
The lock will shut completely from Aug. 15 through Sept. 4, followed by a return to overnight-only, width-restricted travel on Sept. 5-8. Movements are currently scheduled to return to normal on Sept. 9.
Ohio River:
The primary chamber at Greenup Lock was reported closed for dive inspections on Feb. 1. Navigation remained available through the secondary chamber.
Starting Jan. 26, Cannelton Lock was reported closed to daytime travel on Wednesday and Thursday for repairs, prompting delays up to 12 hours. The project is slated to run through May 26.
Emsworth Lock primary chamber repairs on the books for Feb. 22 through April 16 will limit navigation to a single barge per pass through the auxiliary chamber. Significant delays are expected.
An underwater obstruction was noted blocking use of the Dashields Lock auxiliary chamber, limiting operating of the chamber’s miter gate. Minimal delays were reported for the week, although a main chamber closure planned for March 7-31 would necessitate use of the auxiliary chamber. Following the main chamber outage, the Dashields secondary chamber will shut for repairs on April 1-22.
The Belleville Lock main chamber is scheduled to close to vessel traffic from May 2 through June 22, forcing detours through the smaller secondary chamber.
A Hannibal Lock main chamber repair shutdown proposed by the Corps would relegate traffic to the secondary chamber from July 5 through Oct. 8.
A shutdown of the Cannelton Lock main chamber has also been proposed for July 5 through Nov. 11. That closure, if approved, was also expected to funnel travel through the site’s smaller secondary chamber.
Montgomery Lock was reported closed to navigation on Feb. 2. Delays were noted up to seven hours prior to the shutdown. Delays at Cannelton tracked in the 4-6 hour range for the week.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock is fully closed to navigation through Feb. 24, Corps data indicated. Work was noted underway to effect repairs to the site’s upper miter gates. Barkley Lock was suggested as an alternate route while the project is underway, adding approximately 1-2 days of travel time in each direction.
The Wilson Lock main chamber is scheduled to close for maintenance from Feb. 23 through April, necessitating passage through the secondary chamber. A temporary main chamber reopening is planned for March 18-23, during which secondary chamber traffic will be capped at six barges. Delays could stretch to one week or more during the project, sources speculated. Wilson Lock wait times were quoted up to 18 hours for the week.
Bio-acoustic fish fence maintenance that kicked off on Jan. 15 at the Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock concluded on Jan. 30, ending a period of navigational shutdowns running from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. A proposed Cheatham Lock repair and maintenance project was anticipated to limit navigation from May 16 through Aug. 4.