U.S. Gulf: The Corps reported project delays at Industrial Lock, which has been closed for dewatering and repair operations since Aug. 1. Originally scheduled to reopen on Nov. 27, the estimated completion date has now been pushed back to Dec. 5, shippers said. Sources attributed the delays to high water levels at the lock.
Shippers reported an end to width restrictions in Baptiste Collette Bayou, part of the official detour route during the Industrial Lock closure. Dredging previously restricted tows to 75 feet or less.
Dredging and debris removal at the West Canal’s Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge interrupted navigation from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. The work is being conducted on a 12-days on, two-days off pattern, allowing navigation to proceed unfettered overnight and during nonworking hours.
Algiers Lock navigation delays were estimated at up to three hours.
Lower Mississippi River: Stack Island dike work, which began on Sept. 26 and is scheduled to continue through Feb. 10, will likely cause transit delays and towing restrictions in the Lake Providence area, shippers said. Currently, the Corps is asking vessels to proceed at their “slowest safe speed” through the vicinity.
Upper Mississippi River: Transit slowdowns and run restrictions continued due to high water levels. Conditions were improving, however.
The National Weather Service reported flooding at Hannibal, Mo., with levels holding at 19.69 feet on Oct. 5, higher than the 16-foot flood stage. Elevated flows in the St. Louis area led the Corps to limit southbound tows to 20 barges or fewer on a boat-by-boat basis. High water and missing buoys reported between Cairo and Cape Girardeau triggered daylight-only navigation restrictions on that stretch of river.
With the Upper Mississippi River’s seasonal close fast approaching, some sources cited an Oct. 15 hard cutoff for northbound barges to release from lower river locations. Sept. 28 was the cutoff for Upper River-bound barges loading at NOLA. For NOLA barges with final destinations between Clayton, Iowa, and Quincy, Ill., tows were expected to release by Oct. 5.
Illinois River: Peoria Lock and Dam resumed locking last week. Shippers called wait times 2-5 hours at the lock.
Ohio River: Delays continued at Lock 52 due to an ongoing equipment malfunction. Waits were pushed to 15 hours or more for the week, with at least 18 vessels queued to lock on Oct. 5, according to Corps data. Sources believed repairs were on hold until river levels rise to the point where wickets can be lowered, after which 72-96 hours are needed to complete repairs.
Montgomery Lock main chamber work limited transit to overnight hours, subject to an 80-foot width restriction. Use of the main chamber is available between midnight and 8:00 a.m. through Nov. 17. Daytime locking is possible via the auxiliary chamber, but service is limited to a single barge per turn. The Corps issued plans to open the main chamber on Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 29-30 to clear waiting traffic. Shippers put average Montgomery Lock wait times at three hours for the week.
Intermittent delays began at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock on Oct. 4, shippers noted. Upstream guide wall repairs are projected to force sporadic service outages through Oct. 9, after which the lock with undergo a full shutdown on Oct. 9-13. Intermittent closures are scheduled to resume Oct. 19 through Nov. 19. Vessels are asked to detour via Barkley Canal.
The Monongahela River’s Braddock Lock and Dam continues to operate without the use of its river chamber, shippers said. An unspecified mechanical failure has forced vessels to detour through the site’s land chamber.
The Allegheny River is closed at Lock 6 due to a hydraulic leak and mechanical failure. No timeline for repairs was available on Oct. 5.