US Gulf:
Harvey Lock remained shut to traffic for the week due to low water levels on the lower Mississippi River, sources said. Detours were suggested through Algiers Lock.
Bayou Sorrel Lock travel continued to be restricted during the week. Intermittent navigation restrictions were noted on Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., while complete 24-hour access was available on Saturday and Sunday. Wait times were reported up to 12 hours on Nov. 28. The project is expected to run through February 2023.
The Atchafalaya River’s Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass were closed to commercial navigation until further notice due to the presence of active exposed underwater pipelines. Vessels were able to utilize the Port Allen Route as an alternate path.
Towing restrictions continued at Algiers Lock for the week, limiting unassisted lockages to four standard dry barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per pass. Larger configurations were allowed when locking with an assist vessel.
Calcasieu Lock is slated to shut to daytime navigation on Dec. 4-19, and delays are expected. Additional travel shutdowns are tentatively scheduled for late January 2023, sources said.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction triggered sporadic 12-hour navigation shutdowns during the week. The bridge is located at Mile 3 of the West Canal, and the project is slated to run through the end of the year.
Port Allen Lock wait times were observed up to 10 hours early in the week, while Industrial Lock passages were reported up to 12 hours. While most Brazil Lock waits fell in the 5-12 hour range, intermittent delays were seen as high as 24-55 hours on Nov. 25-28.
Mississippi River:
Despite recent rains throughout much of the Mississippi River Valley, low water levels continued to snag travel on the lower Mississippi River.
The St. Louis gauge was posted at 0.61 feet and falling on Nov. 30, and was expected to recede to (-)5.90 feet by Dec. 28. The gauge at Memphis, Tenn., fell below the 5.0-foot Low Stage at (-)5.23 feet on Nov. 30, and was projected to remain there through mid-December.
Draft limits were tightened to 8.5 feet from St. Louis to Cairo, Ill., down from 9.0 feet reported previously, in anticipation of falling river levels in December. Solid-cargo drafts continued at a maximum 9.0 feet for both northbound and southbound travel from Cairo to the Gulf, while liquid barges were reportedly capped at 8.5-foot drafts.
Dredging activities are expected to ramp up in December, causing localized navigation shutdowns. Dredges were standing by at Memphis and Vicksburg, Miss., on Nov. 29.
Repairs in progress at the I-10 bridge triggered a blanket safety advisory at Miles 228-230, with intermittent navigation outages anticipated. Channel work at Miles 139 and 100 is slated for December, with work at Miles 192-193 scheduled for January. Wait times at Chain of Rocks Lock were observed up to 10 hours during the week.
Illinois River:
Wickets continued in the raised position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to low river levels, forcing tows to lock through both locations. LaGrange Lock delays were reported at eight hours on Nov. 28-29.
Dredging began on Nov. 28 at Miles 147-148, and was slated to run Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., until further notice.
Ohio River:
Commercial navigation on the Ohio River, Tennessee River, and Cumberland River remained limited to 9-foot drafts due to low water levels.
Work underway at the Montgomery Lock main chamber was scheduled to continue through Dec. 16, necessitating detours through the secondary chamber. Delays were reported in the 7-9 day range during the week, increasing from 3-8 days in the prior report.
Intermittent Olmsted Lock delays fell in the 3-7 hour range during the week. On the Tennessee River, intermittent Kentucky Lock delays were posted at 24-44 hours during the week.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock is scheduled to close on Jan. 30-31, completely shutting the site to navigation for a 48-hour period.