U.S. Gulf:
Colorado Lock repairs were scheduled to run through Sept. 9, blocking Monday-through-Friday navigation between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. Wait times typically held below the five-hour mark early in the week.
Guidewall construction was reported underway at Bayou Sorrel Lock, scheduled to run through February 2023. The work was halting traffic Monday through Friday, between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Normal operating hours were available on Saturdays and Sundays.
Bayou Sorrel bridge repairs, underway since July 5, were understood to conclude during the week, ending a period of Monday-through-Thursday navigation outages between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Draft limits persisted at Miles 113-117 of the Atchafalaya River due to ongoing shoaling in the area, described as particularly troublesome at Miles 115.5-117. In addition to draft limits, 600-foot maximum lengths were in effect, while widths were capped at 70 feet. Tows measuring longer than 400 feet were encouraged to utilize an assist vessel.
A number of potentially hazardous underwater pipes discovered during a recent hydrograph of the Atchafalaya River forced a complete travel shutdown through Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass. Tows could avoid the river’s numerous restrictions via a detour through the Port Allen Route.
Unescorted tows traveling through Algiers Lock remained subject to length and width restrictions, reducing maximum lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per pass. Larger strings were able to lock when accompanied by an assist vessel. Waits were noted at 10.5 hours on Aug. 29, while delays peaked above 25 hours over the weekend.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction, projected to continue through the end of 2022, triggered sporadic navigational shutdowns lasting up to 12 hours during the week, sources reported.
Six-hour waits were observed at Port Allen Lock through the early week. Most Industrial Lock waits were noted in a wide 5-18 hour range, while tows locking through Calcasieu Lock were subject to intermittent 17-24 hour delays.
Mississippi River:
Reduced water levels extended travel restrictions on the lower Mississippi River. Tows running in the northbound direction were limited to 10.5 feet of draft, while tows traveling downriver were capped at 11.5 feet of draft from Cairo, Ill., to Rosedale, Miss. Barge counts were reportedly reduced by 10-15% below normal levels.
The river gauge at St. Louis showed just 1.21 feet of depth on Aug. 31. Levels were projected to drop below the 0.0-foot mark on Sept. 12.
Channel maintenance operations underway at Mile 336 through Sept. 8 were heard to limit southbound travel daily between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Smaller vessels were evaluated for possible daytime passage on a case-by-case basis. Work at the site was previously expected to run through Sept. 28.
Repairs underway at the I-10 bridge triggered a blanket safety advisory for tows transiting Miles 228-230 of the lower river. The advisory, along with intermittent travel stoppages, were anticipated at the site through June 2023.
Old River Lock was scheduled to close to navigation on Aug. 30, ending a period of overnight-only movements that kicked off on July 28. The new shutdowns closed the site completely to all traffic through Nov. 13, limiting access to the Red River. Tows seeking access to that waterway were advised to detour through the Atchafalaya River.
The shutdown of upper Mississippi River locks for the winter navigation season was expected to begin in November or December. To ensure delivery of the fall season’s final barges, cargoes loading from NOLA and destined for Dubuque, Iowa, will likely face final release dates in the second week of October. NOLA-loading barges bound for upper river destinations below Dubuque were anticipated to release through the third week of October.
Lock 18 wait times were noted at 4-5 hours on Aug. 30-31.
Illinois River:
Brandon Road Lock repairs underway since May 9 are slated to continue through Sept. 8. Navigation was limited to overnight hours through the site until Aug. 14, after which the lock was shut to all navigation through Sept. 4. Overnight-only transits will resume on Sept. 5-8, followed by a return to normal operations on Sept. 9. Tow widths are reportedly capped at 70 feet for the entirety of the operation.
Peoria Lock was noted shutting to daytime traffic on Aug. 23, blocking navigation between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. through Oct. 7. Some expected delays to slowly mount over time, possibly reaching 12-24 hours before the project concludes. Waits topped out at 16.5 hours on Aug. 29-30. Starved Rock Waits were noted up to six hours.
Ohio River:
Meldahl Lock operators were reported closing both the site’s main and auxiliary chambers daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for equipment repair, triggering waits up to 10 hours. The project was tentatively scheduled to conclude on Sept. 2.
Primary chamber miter gate replacement efforts in progress at Cannelton Lock were heard prompting detours through the site’s secondary chamber through Nov. 11. Delays stemming from the operation were noted in the 24-39 hour range, above the 7-18 hours reported one week earlier.
Miter gate and quoin repairs underway at the Hannibal Lock main chamber were anticipated to force detours through the auxiliary chamber until Oct. 8. The effort, underway since July 5, was expected to produce minimal delays. Corps data showed intermittent 24-26 hour delays at Dashields Lock on Aug. 29-30.
Transit was unavailable from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock due to a salvage operation. Delays were noted up to 10 hours following the lock’s reopening. Kentucky Lock is scheduled to close to daytime navigation on Sept. 6-26 for equipment repair, sources said.
Corps data showed Wilson Lock waits up to 20 hours for the week. The Cumberland River was expected to shut to navigation near the Ohio River interchange on Sept. 12-14, from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, due to work at the U.S. Highway 60 bridge.
Barkley Lock is tentatively set to undergo daytime travel shutdowns from Oct. 13 through Nov. 4, due to dive inspections. The lock will pass vessels daily from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. while the inspections are underway.
Arkansas River:
The Corps announced a revised shutdown calendar for work at Norrell Lock. Daytime shutdowns from Aug. 22 through Nov. 30 will block navigation daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Overnight passages are reportedly available, albeit with a 70-foot width limit. The site will see a full travel shutdown on Jan. 30-31, 2023. Previously, the lock was scheduled to undergo a full closure from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9.
Joe Hardin Lock will close for repairs daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 12-19, and again on Sept. 28-29. Travel will be completely unavailable at the site from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9.
Emmett Sanders Lock is scheduled to undergo a complete shutdown on Oct 2-6.