US Gulf:
Freezing conditions in the US Gulf triggered precautionary shutdowns throughout the region during the week. In addition to the cold weather, low water levels forced draft reductions of 15-20% on northbound travel above New Orleans, La., while towing widths topped out at 6-7 barges, down from the typical 7-8 barges, depending on horsepower. Maximums drafts continued at 9.5 feet in the East and West Canals on Nov. 16, sources said.
Bayou Sorrel Lock saw ongoing closures for guidewall repairs from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, while the site was reportedly shut completely on Jan. 18 for a concrete pour. With 27 tows counted in line to lock, delays were quoted up to 58 hours on Jan. 18. The project is scheduled to run through June 26.
Harvey Lock will be offline for miter gate repairs during daylight hours on Jan. 22-25. Harvey has been closed to overnight navigation since October due to low head conditions.
The BNSF Railroad Bridge at Mile 121.3 of the West Canal was shut from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 16 and 18. The closures were scheduled to repeat on Jan. 23, 25, and 30, as well as on Feb. 1 and 6.
Repairs to the St. Claude Avenue Bridge, located at Mile 6.5 in the West Canal, were scheduled to block transit through the site from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 24. Work at Ellender Bridge, situated at the West Canal’s Mile 243, will halt weekday movements from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 5-April 12.
Temporary repairs at Bayou Boeuf Lock were expected to shut the site for 12-24 hours on Jan. 22. A longer closure was pushed back to mid-February and will include three separate travel outages lasting four days each.
Daytime shutdowns at Brazos Lock were reported blocking movements from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through an estimated Feb. 29, with waits noted at 5-13 hours during the week. Port Allen Lock waits peaked at nearly 10 hours on Jan. 16, while Industrial Lock delays ran as high as 39 hours, according to Corps data. Intermittent Colorado Lock wait times were reported up to 68 hours.
Mississippi River:
Rising water levels improved navigating conditions on the Lower Mississippi River during the week, though loading drafts on northbound tows traveling between NOLA and Cairo, Ill., continued to be restricted by 15-20% below normal levels. Towing widths were limited to 6-7 barges, sources said, down from the usual 7-8 barge limits.
Water levels at Memphis, Tenn., crested at 15.1-15.3 feet on Jan. 17-21 and were expected to decline to 3.4 feet on Feb. 1, above the area’s (-)5.0-foot low stage. Revetment work at Mile 214 of the lower river was scheduled for Jan. 20-28, blocking vessel traffic daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., while dredging was reported at Mile 663.
Low water levels continued on the upper river, however, and sources said loading drafts were reduced by 10-15% through the St. Louis area. The St. Louis gauge was posted at (-)0.4 feet and falling on Jan. 18. Dredging was underway at Miles 166, 169, and 274, sources said.
With navigation between St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn., unavailable for the winter season, Locks 11-16 and 18-20 were open for locking on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through March 9, while Locks 21 and 22 are staffed for lockages 24/7. The upper river is scheduled to begin returning for spring navigation on March 4-11.
Illinois River:
Extreme cold limited travel on the Illinois Waterway during the week. Ice gorging was noted on the southern portion of the river, and ice lockages were instituted at Starved Rock Lock, Marseilles Lock, and Dresden Island Lock. LaGrange Lock, on the lower river, was reported to have difficulty raising and lowering the dam due to ice.
Wait times ran up to 15 hours at Marseilles Lock, Corps data indicated, while delays at Starved Rock Lock were counted up to 67 hours on Jan. 15-18. Loading weights were capped at 90-95% of typical capacity. Dredging was noted at Miles 226-228.
Ohio River:
Low water levels held southbound Ohio River loading drafts to 90-95% of normal levels, sources said, or 10-11.5 feet. Tow lengths were restricted to 15 barges.
Meldahl Lock delays were posted up to 28 hours due to an ongoing main chamber outage. No timeline for repairs was available on Jan. 18. Greenup Lock will close for valve repairs between March 4 and April 12, while Markland Lock and Cannelton Lock are expected to see reduced locking capacity from April 22 to June 7.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock will shut for upper guidewall replacement from Jan. 22 through Feb. 15, and delays were reported up to 26 hours during the week. Old Hickory Lock, on the Cumberland River, will see shutdowns between March 18 and May 9.
Arkansas River:
Lock 2 will shut to daytime traffic on Feb. 5-9. Repairs to the Van Buren Bridge, located at Mile 300, are scheduled to block traffic from Feb. 7 through approximately Feb. 25. Any waiting vessels are expected to be allowed to pass the site on Feb. 16.