US Gulf:
Sources on Sept. 26 said the industry was keeping a close eye on Hurricane Ian, but the storm’s projected landfall in western Florida was anticipated to minimally impact barge movements in the East and West Canals.
The Port of Mobile was set to Port Condition Normal on Sept. 28, while the Intercoastal Waterway was reportedly changed to Port Condition X-Ray for boats moving east of Panama City, Fla.
The Port of Tampa moved to Port Condition Zulu on Sept. 27, sources said, effectively halting operations due to the possibility of gale-force winds in Tampa Bay within a 12-hour window.
Guidewall construction noted in progress at Bayou Sorrel Lock was scheduled to continue through February 2023. The project prompted intermittent travel outages Monday through Friday, between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with normal operating hours returning on Saturdays and Sundays. Delays were reported at 3-6 hours on Sept. 25.
Following a second dredging attempt to fix extensive shoaling at Miles 113-117 of the Atchafalaya River, located near Morgan City, La., the Coast Guard on Sept. 22 announced the removal of all restrictions through that area. Towing drafts had previously been capped at 10 feet, lengths limited to 600 feet, and widths permitted up to 70 feet. In addition, all tows running longer than 400 feet were required to travel with an assist tug.
The successful dredging operation did not impact other restricted areas of the Atchafalaya, however, and commercial travel remained unavailable through Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass due to the presence of active underwater pipelines.
Tows traveling through Algiers Lock without industry assistance were subject to ongoing length and width restrictions, reducing lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per pass. Larger tows could lock through in a single pass when accompanied by an assist vessel. Minimal wait times were observed on Sept. 26.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction, scheduled to run through the end of the year, was expected to cause sporadic navigational shutdowns, potentially halting traffic for up to 12 hours at a time.
Port Allen Lock delays were reported in a wide 5-28 hours. Boats transiting Industrial Lock saw wait times up to seven hours through the early week. Five-hour waits were noted at both Colorado Lock and Brazos Lock.
Mississippi River:
Water levels continued to decline on the lower Mississippi River, tightening travel restrictions.
Tows running in the northbound direction were limited to 9.5-foot drafts, down from 10.5 feet in the prior report, while southbound tows started the week at a maximum draft of 10.5-11 feet before reducing to 9.5 feet by Sept. 29. Dredges were dispatched to at least one location, while a number of vessel groundings, most recently reported at Mile 525, triggered localized transit stoppages of 12-48 hours. Additionally, maximum barge counts were reduced 15-25% below typical levels.
The river gauge at St. Louis returned a (-)0.68-foot depth reading on Sept. 28. Levels were expected to drop to (-)2.5 feet on Oct. 10.
Sources said dredging at Mile 485 was scheduled to begin on Sept. 30. The operation was expected to run for approximately two weeks, potentially triggering navigational shutdowns in the area.
Channel restoration efforts at Mile 618, set to begin on Sept. 26, were likely to necessitate daytime transit outages in the southbound direction through Oct. 10. A planned pipeline removal project at Mile 167 was anticipated to trigger daytime shutdowns on Oct. 6-23.
Ongoing repair work to the I-10 bridge prompted a blanket safety advisory for tows passing Miles 228-230 of the lower river. The advisory, as well as intermittent travel outages, were predicted at the site through June 2023.
Old River Lock was noted shutting to navigation on Aug. 30, completely closing the site to all traffic through Nov. 13 and limiting access to the Red River. Tows seeking access to that waterway were recommended to detour through the Atchafalaya River.
The winter seasonal shutdown of upper Mississippi River locks was expected to begin in November or December. Cargoes loading from NOLA and destined for Dubuque, Iowa, or above generally saw final release dates scheduled in the second week of October. Barges loading from NOLA and bound for upper river destinations below Dubuque were projected to continue releasing through the third week of October.
Lock 27 wait times were noted up to five hours during the week.
Illinois River:
Wickets continued to be reported in the raised position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock for the week, forcing tows to lock through both sites. Wait times at Peoria Lock were noted up to eight hours during the week, while LaGrange Lock delays peaked at five hours on Sept. 26.
Dresden Island Lock waits were posted up to seven hours for the week.
Looking ahead to 2023, Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, Marseilles Lock, and Starved Rock Lock are all slated to undergo shutdowns totaling 90-120 days each, starting on June 1, 2023, effectively closing the Illinois River to commercial navigation.
Ohio River:
Belleville Lock operators have reportedly been closing the site to daylight travel sporadically since Sept. 7 for maintenance, triggering intermittent waits of 4-7 hours. The project was tentatively scheduled to wrap up on Sept. 30.
Miter gate replacement efforts in progress at the Cannelton Lock main chamber triggered detours through the auxiliary chamber through Nov. 11. Delays were reported in the 15-26 hour range, falling from 41 hours in the prior week.
Hannibal Lock main chamber miter gate and quoin repairs were predicted to force detours through the auxiliary chamber until an estimated Oct. 8, with minimal delays expected.
Equipment repairs at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock were scheduled to end on Sept. 26. Travel was reported unavailable from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily since Sept. 6 while the project was underway.
Most Wilson Lock waits were reported in the 7-10 hour range through the week. Barkley Lock is scheduled to see a series of daytime travel shutdowns from Oct. 13 through Nov. 4 for dive inspections. The lock is expected to pass tows daily from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Arkansas River:
The revised Norrell Lock shutdown calendar will see daytime travel outages continue through Nov. 30, shutting the site daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Overnight passage is available with a 70-foot width limit. The lock is scheduled for a full shutdown on Jan. 30-31, 2023.
Daylight-hour travel shutdowns that kicked off at Joe Hardin Lock on Sept. 12 were scheduled to conclude on Sept. 29. Travel will be completely unavailable Sept. 30 through Oct. 9. Sources said Emmett Sanders Lock will undergo a complete travel shutdown on Oct. 2-6.