US Gulf:
Drawbridge repairs will leave travel unavailable through the Florida Avenue Bridge, located between Miles 1 and 2 of the East Canal, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 24. Emergency dredging began on Feb. 14 at the West Canal’s Lapalco Bridge, blocking daily navigation between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. through an estimated March 1.
Unplanned repairs at the Black Bayou Bridge, at Mile 238 of the West Canal, will limit daytime movements until further notice. Six-hour shutdowns are expected on weekdays, while the site will shut for four hours daily on Saturday and Sunday.
Bayou Sorrel Lock guidewall repairs blocked movements from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Delays were quoted up to 30 hours on Feb. 15. The project is expected to continue into June. Colorado Lock is due to begin dive operations on Feb. 26, restricting travel during daylight hours. The effort is scheduled to run for 10 days.
The BNSF Railroad Bridge at Mile 121.3 of the West Canal was closed to navigation from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 13. Repairs underway since Feb. 5 at Ellender Bridge, located at the West Canal’s Mile 243, will block weekday travel from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 12. Maintenance operations at the St. Claude Avenue Bridge will halt movements from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 24.
Bayou Boeuf Lock repairs, scheduled to begin in mid-March, will require the lock to shut for three separate closures lasting four days apiece. Additional daytime closures for timber replacement were anticipated both leading up to and running concurrently with the project.
Brazos Lock repairs are in progress through Feb. 29, limiting daytime travel. Lockages were restricted to one loaded barge or two empty barges during the week, pushing intermittent delays as high as 20 hours.
Port Allen Lock waits were noted in a 5-17 hour range, while Corps data showed Industrial Lock delays up to 18 hours on Feb. 14-15. Boats transiting Algiers Lock saw wait times up to 16 hours, and sporadic five-hour slowdowns were noted at Colorado Lock.
Mississippi River:
Following early week crests at or near action stage at several Lower Mississippi River locations, water levels were receding in most areas on Feb. 15. Depths were posted at 33.3 feet and falling at Vicksburg, Miss., after an action-stage 36.1-foot crest was recorded on Feb. 11. Following a peak at the 30-foot action stage on Feb. 13, levels slipped to 29.6 feet at Baton Rouge, La., on Feb. 15.
The Memphis, Tenn., area was again under a flood watch during the week due to the potential failure of the Arkabutla Dam, located in Mississippi’s DeSoto and Tate Counties. Channel work at Mile 249 of the lower river carried a risk of northbound slowdowns through Feb. 29, sources said.
With through-travel between St. Louis and St. Paul unavailable until mid-March, Locks 11-16 and 18-20 will remain open for weekday locking from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through March 9. Locks 21 and 22 are staffed for lockages 24/7.
Upper-river locks are scheduled to open for spring navigation on March 4-16, conditions permitting. Barges loading from New Orleans for locations below Dubuque, Iowa, were expected to begin releases in the second week of February. Cargoes headed above Dubuque will resume upriver travel in the second half of February, sources said.
Illinois River:
Delays were reported up to 12 hours at Marseilles Lock and Dam during the week. Elevated river levels left wickets in the lowered position at both LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock, allowing tows to transit both sites without locking.
Ohio River:
An ongoing main chamber closure at Meldahl Lock forced long waits at the site. Locking was available solely through the auxiliary chamber, pushing most delays into the 50-75 hour range, above the prior week’s 36-62 hours.
Greenup Lock will shut for valve repairs between March 4 and April 12. Planned maintenance will limit movements at Markland Lock and Cannelton Lock from April 22 to June 7.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock was scheduled to return from upper guidewall replacement on Feb. 15. Midweek delays at Kentucky Lock were reported in a 4-16 hour range, while tows waited up to 15 hours to pass Wilson Lock.
On the Cumberland River, Old Hickory Lock will close to overnight travel on March 18-April 1. The lock will shut completely between April 1 and May 9.
Arkansas River:
Travel through the Van Buren Bridge, located at Mile 300.8 of the Arkansas River, will be unavailable on March 11-29. A single opening is planned for March 20 or 21 to clear waiting vessels.