US Gulf:
Repairs to the BNSF railroad bridge at Mile 1 of the Port Allen Route, previously on the books for July 17 through Aug. 14, were pushed back to early September, sources said. Firm dates were expected to be announced closer to the start of the project.
Port Allen Lock was slated to undergo a full 48-hour shutdown on July 20-22 due to low water conditions. The closure was previously put on hold while the Corps waited for a dredge to become available. Harvey Lock remained shut to navigation during the week due to reverse head conditions. The lock was taken offline on June 15.
Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock limited navigation daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., forcing waits up to 23 hours. The project was scheduled to run into March 2024.
Chamber wall repairs at Leland Bowman Lock began on July 18, blocking travel from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through July 31. Equipment delays pushed the project back from its original July 10 start date, sources said. Daytime shutdowns were expected at Brazos Lock starting on July 24, blocking travel between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Waits ran up to five hours at both Port Allen Lock and Industrial Lock through the week. Sources reported intermittent 10-hour delays at Leland Bowman Lock.
Mississippi River:
Improving river levels allowed for lighter draft restrictions on the upper and middle sections of the Mississippi River during the week. Barges loading at St. Louis saw drafts reduced by 10%, while drafts were cut by 5% on barges loading between Cairo, Ill., and St. Louis.
On the lower river, northbound tows loading at New Orleans and southbound cargoes loading at Cairo saw maximum drafts slashed by 20%, sources said, while barge counts for tows traveling downriver were reduced by 15-25% between Cairo and NOLA, stretching delivery times by 24-48 hours.
The river gauge at St. Louis was posted at 1.84 feet and falling on July 19. Forecasts predicted a move below the 0.00-foot mark on July 24, followed by a (-)2.40-foot reading on Aug. 2. On the lower river, the Memphis gauge stood at (-)4.45 feet. Forecasters expected area levels to recede below the (-)5.00-foot low-stage threshold on July 27, with the gauge sinking to (-)6.80 feet by Aug. 2.
Sources reported dredging at Mile 16 and Mile 171 on the upper river. Minimal disruptions to navigation were reported at Mile 171, while a number of 24-hour shutdowns were expected at Mile 16 through the week. On the lower river, sources said dredging resumed at Mile 525 on July 17, with delays of 24-36 hours expected.
Repairs at Old River Lock that began on July 10 were scheduled to close the site to navigation on July 31-Aug. 3, Aug. 14-17, and Aug. 21-24.
Illinois River:
Low water levels continued to necessitate a 5% reduction in maximum loading drafts on the Illinois River. Wickets were raised at both LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock due to the conditions, forcing tows to lock through both locations.
Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are shut through approximately Oct. 1 for planned repairs and maintenance, effectively closing the river to commercial navigation.
Ohio River:
Maximum loading drafts continued at 10.0-10.5 feet due to low water levels on the Ohio River. On the Monongahela River, drafts were limited to 8.5 feet, sources said.
Shutdowns were scheduled at the John T. Meyers Lock primary chamber through Aug. 20 for repairs to the floating mooring system. The secondary chamber will close Aug. 21-Sept. 10 for miter gate work, followed by another round of main chamber closures from Sept. 11 through Nov. 17.
Auxiliary chamber outages were expected at New Cumberland Lock until Aug. 18, while the Melville Lock secondary chamber was reported offline through Aug. 4. Travel through the auxiliary chamber at McAlpine Lock is unavailable until Aug. 18.
Mandatory assist boat usage continued on southbound movements through Smithland Lock due to strong outflows, sources said. The site’s land chamber is due to shut between Sept. 22 and Oct. 21 for miter gate machinery repairs, followed by a river chamber closure on Oct. 22-Nov. 20 for machinery replacement.
The Greenup Lock main chamber is offline from July 5 through Aug. 14, prompting travel through the auxiliary chamber. On the Tennessee River, tows waited up to 31 hours to pass Kentucky Lock. Delays ran as high as seven hours at Wilson Lock.