US Gulf:
Algiers Lock maintenance, previously expected to conclude on May 4, was extended through May 26, keeping the lock shut to navigation from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Waits were recorded as high as 23 hours during the week, down from 53 hours reported previously.
Work at Colorado Lock, in progress since December 2022, was extended through an estimated June 2, roughly five weeks beyond the project’s previously-expected April 28 end date. Travel was unavailable daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Daytime delays were noted in a wide 8-23 hour range.
Sources expected intermittent shutdowns at the Morgan City Railroad Bridge, located at the West Canal’s Mile 121, to continue through the end of June. Repairs at Leland Bowman Lock will require a complete shutdown on May 9-12, and again on May 16-18, sources said.
Work underway since April 18 to repair the Bayou Boeuf Lock north chamber guidewall was expected to pause on May 5, as emergency repairs needed on the Lower Mississippi River will force the Bayou Boeuf work crew to temporarily relocate to the Vicksburg area. The Bayou Boeuf project, responsible for weekday navigation outages between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., was previously scheduled through May 19, but will now likely be extended. Delays were noted up to nine hours through the week.
Port Allen Lock wait times were reported up to 51 hours, while Bayou Sorrel Lock delays topped out around 11 hours. Boats waited up to 36 hours to transit Industrial Lock. Brazos Lock waits topped out at seven hours on May 3.
Mississippi River:
Flooding continued to impact navigation on the upper river during the week. Locks 2-5 reopened to navigation on May 1, although numerous locations, including Lock 1, Locks 6-7, and Locks 9-20, remained shut on May 3.
Upper river transit was likely to remain effectively nonexistent until the second week of May, when some expected transport to resume in advance of a prospective Lock 17 reopening, tentatively expected on or around May 15. Lock 9 could reopen as early as May 3, sources suggested, followed by Lock 20 on May 6.
The river gauge at St. Paul was recorded at a minor-flood 14.4 feet and falling on May 3, after registering at major-floor levels one week earlier.
The Dubuque gauge remained above the 20.5-foot major-flood threshold at 21.1 feet on May 3, and was predicted to hold at moderate-flood stage through at least May 9. A recent 22.84-foot reading, observed on April 30 at the gauge, would represent Dubuque’s third-highest depth reading on record, if confirmed.
On the lower river, revetment maintenance reported in progress at Mile 507 was likely to delay travel daily between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Illinois River:
Falling water levels on the Illinois River prompted lock operators to raise wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, leading to delays of seven hours and six hours, respectively.
Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled to shut completely on June 1 for approximately 120 days, effectively closing the Illinois River to commercial navigation.
Dresden Island Lock delays were counted up to nine hours through the week, while tows waited 4-10 hours to pass Marseilles Lock. Wait times at Starved Rock Lock were also heard topping out at 10 hours.
Ohio River:
Floating mooring repairs at the JT Meyers Lock main chamber were reported underway through Aug. 20, triggering intermittent shutdowns. The site’s auxiliary chamber is due to close Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 for repairs to the secondary miter gate, followed by an additional main chamber closure between Sept. 11 and Nov. 17.
The Dashields Lock main chamber is shut April 24 through May 27 for repairs and maintenance, complicating travel to and from the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. Corps data showed delays as high as 29 hours on May 2-3.
The auxiliary chamber at Melville Lock is shut April 17 through Aug. 4 for maintenance. Miter gate machinery repairs will block travel through the McAlpine Lock north chamber May 15 through June 15, leaving transit available solely through the south chamber.
The Smithland Lock land chamber will close Sept. 22 through Oct. 22 for machinery repairs, sources said. Planned repairs will shut the Greenup Lock primary chamber July 5 through Aug. 14, forcing detours through the secondary chamber. Dam gate repairs set to run July 10 through Sept. 15 at Winfield Lock are not currently expected to impact navigation.
Tennessee River’s Guntersville Lock was likely to see intermittent daytime shutdowns on May 1-11 for valve repair, sources indicated. Kentucky Lock delays were quoted up to 34 hours during the week. Intermittent 12-27 hour waits were reported at Wilson Lock.