US Gulf:
Passage through the Ellender Bridge, located at Mile 243.8 of the West Canal, was unavailable on Aug. 2 due to an equipment malfunction. No timetable for repairs was available on Aug. 3. Harvey Lock remained shut for the week due to reverse head conditions, sources said.
Repairs to the Morgan City-area BNSF railroad bridge were delayed until early September. The effort was previously scheduled to begin on July 17. Algiers Lock is slated to shut for 45-60 days for repairs in the fourth quarter. Firm dates for the outage were expected to be announced closer to the start of the operation.
Bayou Sorrel Lock was reported closed from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily for guidewall repairs, triggering navigation delays up to 28 hours. The project is expected to run through March 2024. In addition, the lock will close for at least 18 hours on or near Aug. 14, sources said.
Chamber wall repairs at Leland Bowman Lock were reported to wrap up on July 31, concluding a period of daytime closures.
Brazos Lock repairs were pushed back to Aug. 10 from the previous July 31 planned start. Once begun, the project is expected to block daytime travel through the site. Waits at Brazos Lock were reported at 4-7 hours for the week.
Mississippi River:
Towing restrictions continued on the Mississippi River due to low water levels.
On the upper river, loading drafts in the St. Louis area were reduced by 25-30% from normal levels, while shippers faced combined 5% draft reductions and 20% tow-length restrictions between Cairo, Ill., and St. Louis. Significant travel delays were reported through the St. Louis harbor.
Drafts were slashed by 15-20% on northbound travel between New Orleans, La., and Cairo, while drafts were reduced by 10-15% for southbound movements. Barge counts continued to run 15-25% below normal levels, depending on vessel horsepower, stretching delivery windows by up to 24-48 hours.
Excessive rainfall in the forecast was expected the lift the St. Louis river gauge to an 8.1-foot crest on Aug. 5, up from 1.66 feet on Aug. 3. Levels were likely to recede below the 0.0-foot mark on Aug. 9, however. A flood watch was in effect for the St. Louis area on Aug. 3.
On the lower river, the gauge at Memphis, Tenn., was reported a (-)4.13 feet on Aug. 3. Levels were predicted to rise to 0.0 feet on Aug. 10, before reversing course and falling below the area’s (-)5.0-foot low stage on Aug. 15.
Sources reported a main chamber shutdown at Mel Price Lock on Aug. 2-4, triggering waits up to 11 hours and forcing detours through the auxiliary chamber. A series of four-hour navigation shutdowns were announced for the bridge at Ft. Madison, Iowa, on Aug. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9, while eight-hour closures were scheduled for Aug. 19 and 20.
Old River Lock, located at Mile 305 on the lower river, was offline July 31 through Aug. 3 for repairs and maintenance. The shutdowns were expected to repeat on Aug. 14-17 and Aug. 21-24.
Illinois River:
Sources noted a 5% reduction in loading drafts on the Illinois Waterway due to low river levels. Wickets were raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock during the week, forcing lockages through both sites.
Shutdowns at Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled to continue through approximately Oct. 1, closing the river to commercial transport.
Ohio River:
Maximum loading drafts continued at 10.0-10.5 feet on the Ohio River due to low water levels. Monongahela River drafts were capped at 8.5 feet.
Travel through the John T. Meyers Lock primary chamber is unavailable through Aug. 20 for repairs to the floating mooring system. The secondary chamber will shut Aug. 21-Sept. 10 for miter gate repairs, while the main chamber will close once again from Sept. 11 to Nov. 17. The Greenup Lock main chamber is offline through Aug. 14, prompting detours through the site’s auxiliary chamber.
At Smithland Lock, tows were required to use an assist boat on southbound lockages due to strong outflows. The site’s land chamber is scheduled to shut for miter gate repairs from Sept. 22 to Oct. 21, while the river chamber will close Oct. 22 through Nov. 20 to replace machinery.
Intermittent shutdowns for electrical work were reported at the Tennessee River’s Pickwick Landing Lock on July 31-Aug. 4, driving waits up to five hours. Wait times were posted up to 19 hours at Kentucky Lock, while boats transiting Wilson Lock were delayed up to nine hours.