US Gulf:
Port Allen Lock, closed for emergency repairs since March 28, will force detours through Algiers Lock through an estimated April 24. Corps data showed vessels waiting up to 49 hours to pass Algiers Lock during the week. Due to the Port Allen Lock closure, a scheduled shutdown at Bayou Boeuf Lock has been postponed until further notice.
Following an unplanned March 30-April 8 closure at Industrial Lock, the lock shut again on April 14 for about 24 hours, sources said. Lengthy backups were reported following the site’s reopening on April 15, with tows waiting up to four days to lock at midweek.
Work to clear sand, silt, and oyster shells from gate recesses at Colorado Lock was extended through April 20, restricting weekday traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Navigation shutdowns were limited to intermittent three-hour stretches, though a handful of 12-hour delays were reported.
The Corps continued to warn of gate problems at Brazos Lock, where mud and possible debris have prevented the South Sector Gate at the West Brazos Floodgate from closing fully. Vessels were advised to hug the north side of the chamber while passing the site to avoid the obstruction. Intermittent delays were reported up to 17 hours during the week.
Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock are set to run through Oct. 30, blocking travel from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Delays were noted up to nine hours. Planned bridge repairs at Mile 63 of the Port Allen Route will shut the area to navigation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 22, 24, and 26.
Extreme caution warnings were reported on travel through the Pascagoula Ship Channel’s Horn Island Pass due to pipeline dredging. The effort is slated to run through April 27. Harvey Lock delays were noted up to 13 hours, down from 31 hours last week.
Mississippi River:
Rising water levels impacted travel on the Lower Mississippi River, with sources reporting towing restrictions based on vessel horsepower. Delays ran up to three days as a result.
The river gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., reported at an action-stage 35.3-feet at midweek, was projected to crest at 36 feet on April 20-21 before falling out of action stage on April 26. An April 18 flood warning for the area was in effect until further notice.
Depths at Baton Rouge, La., were poised to cross above the 30-foot action stage on April 18. Following an expected peak at 31.9 feet on April 22-23, the gauge was forecast to hold above action stage through at least May 2.
Dredging at Mile 107 is scheduled to continue through May 26. Five-hour waits were reported at Mel Price Lock during the week, and delays tracked up to six hours at Lock 27.
Illinois River:
Marseilles Lock was shut for upper miter gate repairs between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on April 17, a Corps posting indicated.
Wait times cracked the six-hour mark at Dresden Island Lock, according to Corps data. Wickets were down at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing tows to pass both sites without locking.
Ohio River:
High water levels continued on the Ohio River during the week. Sources noted maximum loading drafts in the 10-11.5 foot range, depending on location and direction of travel. The Cincinnati gauge crested below the 52-foot minor-flood stage at 51.3 feet on April 15-16, and was posted at an action-stage 47.6 feet on April 18. Levels were projected to fall out of action stage late on April 19.
The main chamber at Willow Island Lock was shuttered on April 15 for scheduled maintenance, forcing tows to lock through the auxiliary chamber until May 15. Waits were recorded in a wide 5-22 hour range.
Scheduled work at Cannelton Lock and Markland Lock is expected to slow movements at both sites from April 22 to June 7. Markland Lock will see an additional closure on June 10-28 for miter gate repairs.
Racine Lock machinery repairs will run from June 1 through July 11, while planned dewatering and miter gate repairs are scheduled for June 15 through Nov. 7 at Hannibal Lock. A Belleville Lock project will trigger a shutdown of the site’s primary and secondary chambers for 30 days apiece during the second half of the year, sources said.
Willow Island Lock delays were reported up to 23 hours near the end of the week. On the Tennessee River, waits topped out above the 16-hour mark at Kentucky Lock, while six-hour delays were noted at Pickwick Landing Lock. Wait times were posted up to 18 hours at Wilson Lock.
Arkansas River:
The Van Buren Bridge, at Mile 300.8 of the Arkansas River, will close to navigation on Aug. 16-Sept. 8 for repairs. Waiting vessels will be cleared to pass following the ninth day of work, sources said.