US Gulf:
Guidewall replacement underway at Bayou Sorrel Lock triggered intermittent weekday travel between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., resulting in waits up to 16 hours through the week. The project was anticipated to continue into March 2023.
Colorado Lock maintenance underway through Jan. 27 restricted lockages daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Delays were recorded in a 5-10 hour range on Jan. 10-11. Calcasieu Lock is tentatively slated to see 4-5 days of shutdowns in late January.
On the Atchafalaya River, Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass are closed to commercial travel until further notice due to exposed underwater pipelines in the channel. Detours were suggested through Port Allen Lock.
Sources expected a handful of closures at Miles 63-64 of the Port Allen Route in February due to pending bridge replacement work. The shutdowns were expected to last 8-24 hours each, with dates anticipated to firm up later in January.
Port Allen Lock wait times were counted up to six hours during the week, while Corps data showed Industrial Lock delays as high as 38 hours. Algiers Lock passages ran up to 16 hours on Jan. 10-11. Brazos Lock delays were noted at 4-7 hours.
Mississippi River:
Improved water levels on the upper Mississippi River, expected to last through at least the middle of the month, allowed for easing draft restrictions on the waterway.
Maximum southbound drafts were reported lifting to 11 feet on dry cargoes traveling between Cairo and St. Louis, although liquid drafts continued at a maximum 8.5 feet. St. Louis dry-barge draft limits also remained unchanged at 9.0 feet. Tow-size reductions continued to be noted on the lower river, although the cuts were reported targeting only the largest boats in the fleet.
Dredging reported at Miles 24-47 on the upper river prompted daily shutdowns from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., sources said, leaving traffic to pass overnight. The effort was expected to continue through Jan. 18. Dredging at the lower river’s Mile 888 was expected to run Jan. 8-14. A vessel collision shut the lower river at Miles 285-315 on Jan. 9 for less than 24 hours.
Water levels at St. Louis remained in a tenuous position during the week. The St. Louis gauge was posted at 2.7 feet and falling on Jan. 11, with levels forecast to sink below the 0.0-foot mark on Jan. 17. The Memphis gauge, returning a healthy 16.92-foot reading on Jan. 11, was projected to recede below the area’s 5.0-foot Low Stage on Jan. 23.
The Mel Price Lock and Chain of Rocks Lock main chambers are shut for repairs and maintenance through approximately March 31, leaving tows to transit through the sites’ respective auxiliary chambers. Mel Price wait times were reported up to 28 hours on Jan. 11, while boats were delayed 20-35 hours through Chain of Rocks.
Repairs at the I-10 bridge, scheduled to continue through June, triggered a safety advisory at Miles 228-230 of the lower river. Revetment work at the Miles 192-139 was slated to run through January.
Illinois River:
Early-week fog at LaGrange Lock triggered delays up to 54 hours, sources said, while lingering congestion left wait times holding at 20-42 hours on Jan. 10-11. Wickets were raised at both LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock, necessitating lockages at both locations. Vessels transiting Peoria Lock waited up to six hours to pass, while intermittent Marseilles Lock delays were observed in a 5-8 hour range.
The Illinois River is scheduled to close to commercial navigation June-September for lock maintenance and repairs.
Ohio River:
Bellville Lock is expected to shut down 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 17-20 for hydraulic system repairs, with delays of 12-24 hours anticipated. The secondary chambers at Belleville Lock and Racine Lock are slated to close Jan. 30 through Feb. 26, while Racine Lock will shut its main chamber Feb. 26 through March 12. Greenup Lock is due for a main chamber shutdown running March 12 through April 12.
Navigation returned to normal at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock during the week following an unplanned shutdown on Jan. 2. Waits were clocked up to 13 hours on Jan. 10-11. Wilson Lock delays were noted averaging 5-6 hours through the period.
Arkansas River:
Daylight-hour shutdowns at Norrell Lock were scheduled to continue through Jan. 20. Sources expected a 48-hour closure at the site on Jan. 30-31.