US Gulf:
Colorado Lock repairs ended on June 2, sources said, concluding a period of travel interruptions reported from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. Delays ran up to 21 hours on June 5-6.
Periodic closures were expected at the BNSF railroad bridge, located at Mile 1 of the Port Allen Route, from March 20 to July 6, and again from July 17 to Aug. 14. Transit stoppages at the site were possible between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily.
The planned removal of a submerged dredge pipeline was anticipated to block traffic at Mile 9 of the Lower Mississippi River between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on June 13. Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock were projected to begin on June 6, leaving navigation unavailable daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Minimal delays were reported on June 7.
Sources expected Leland Bowman Lock chamber repairs to limit daytime navigation through the site for around 15 days, tentatively slated for June 30 through July 14.
Intermittent 5-14 hour waits were noted at Port Allen Lock during the week, and Industrial Lock delays tracked at a wide 15-44 hours, stretching from 18 hours at last check. Sporadic Algiers Lock wait times ran as high as 14 hours, sources said. Tows faced delays in a wide 4-25 hour range at Brazos Lock.
Mississippi River:
Falling water levels on the lower Mississippi prompted width limitations on some southbound movements, reducing downriver towing capacity by 10-20% and adding 12-24 hours to delivery windows.
The Captain of the Port of New Orleans issued a safety advisory for Miles 225-228.3 of the lower river due to low water levels at Baton Rouge. The advisory is expected to remain in place as long as the Baton Rouge gauge holds below the 16-foot mark. The gauge was posted at 14.47 feet and falling on June 7.
A flash flood watch for several areas of Mississippi and Tennessee, previously scheduled to expire on June 10, was canceled on June 6. The watch was established in May due to the possible failure of the Arkabutla Dam, located in Mississippi.
Revetment work at the lower river’s Miles 931-933 will block navigation in the southbound direction from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through mid-July. Sources noted delays in a 12-18 hour range.
Lock 12 wait times were posted in a 3-6 hours range, while Lock 20 delays topped out above six hours. Boats waited up to 12 hours to pass Lock 25.
Illinois River:
A long-anticipated repair and maintenance project was noted kicking off on June 1, effectively closing the Illinois River to commercial navigation through Oct. 1.
The project triggered complete 120-day navigation shutdowns at Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock, blocking access to the upper river. With Starved Rock Lock excluded from the operation, access to Ottawa will remain available, sources noted.
Low water levels necessitated raised wickets at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, forcing tows to lock through both locations. Lockport Lock, located above Brandon Road Lock, recorded no lockages through midweek.
Ohio River:
Floating mooring system repairs underway at John T. Meyers Lock are slated to continue through Aug. 20, prompting main chamber shutdowns. The secondary chamber will close Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 for miter gate repairs, after which the main chamber will shut once more from Sept. 11 to Nov. 17.
The New Cumberland Lock auxiliary chamber, closed for maintenance on May 29, is due to return to service on Aug. 18. The main chamber will remain available during the outage.
The secondary chamber at Melville Lock is closed through Aug. 4 for maintenance and repairs. The McAlpine Lock northern chamber is shut through June 15 for miter gate machinery repairs, necessitating detours through the site’s southern chamber. The auxiliary chamber at Meldahl Lock remains offline through June 30 for repairs, sources said.
Tows passing Smithland Lock were required to make use of an assist boat on southbound lockages due to strong outflows. The site’s land chamber is scheduled to close Sept. 22 through Oct. 22 for machinery repairs.
The primary chamber at Greenup Lock is slated to shut for maintenance July 5 through Aug. 14, leaving the auxiliary chamber open for navigation. Repairs scheduled July 10 through Sept. 15 at Winfield Lock are unlikely to trigger meaningful delays, sources said.
Wickets remained in the raised position at Olmsted Lock due to falling river conditions, reinstating lockages and closing the navigational pass. Waits were quoted up to 11 hours on June 7.
Early-week delays noted up to 29 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock softened to 13 hours on June 7, Corps data indicated. Intermittent Wilson Lock waits were clocked at a wide 4-14 hours.