US Gulf:
Northbound loading drafts were reduced by 5% on travel above New Orleans during the week due to reduced water levels on the Lower Mississippi River.
Travel was unavailable through Port Allen Lock on Aug. 12-15 to facilitate the completion of repairs begun in March. The site was closed for most of April following a miter gate hinge anchorage failure on March 28.
Vessels detoured through Algiers Lock during the Port Allen Lock shutdown, prompting delays up to 23 hours on Aug. 15. Dredging reported in the New Orleans Harbor was scheduled to continue through Aug. 26.
Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock are set to continue through Oct. 30, limiting travel from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Intermittent waits were noted up to seven hours, falling from 25 hours at last report.
Repairs at Brazos Lock halted weekday travel between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Most transits topped out around 5-11 hours, though a handful of waits were noted up to 30 hours. The project is scheduled to run through October.
Harvey Lock will see intermittent shutdowns from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 19-21, with a brief opening planned daily from 1-2 p.m. The lock will shut again from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Aug. 22. Potential reverse head conditions in the forecast for late August could force a complete closure, sources warned.
Industrial Lock waits were quoted at 5-13 hours during the week, while tows waited up to nine hours to pass Harvey Lock. Colorado Lock transits ran up to six hours, Corps data indicated.
Mississippi River:
Low water levels forced draft reductions on the lower river, sources noted. Northbound drafts were cut by 5% between New Orleans and Cairo, Ill., while drafts were reduced by 5-10% on southbound travel between Cairo and Rosedale, Miss.
Dike work at Mile 759 triggered daily southbound shutdowns between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The project is anticipated to run through Sept. 18, with no impact to upriver travel expected.
Pipeline removal at Mile 158 will run from Aug. 18 through Sept. 24. No shutdowns are expected, but channel restrictions could slow travel while work is underway, sources said. Dredging is underway at Mile 154 until further notice, according to a Corps posting.
Revetment work at Mile 908 will block downriver travel during daylight hours on Sept. 1-5, while dates for a planned revetment operation at Mile 775 are expected to be finalized in late August. That project will also limit daytime movements in the southbound direction while work is underway.
Sporadic nine-hour delays were reported at Lock 10 during the week, and intermittent 4-9 hour waits were noted at Lock 24. Lock 25 delays were quoted up to 11 hours. Lock 21 was closed to navigation on Aug. 13, sources noted.
Final release dates for NOLA-loaded barges destined for upper-river ports between Dubuque, Iowa, and St. Paul, Minn., were expected in the first week of October. Tows departing NOLA for ports between St. Louis and Clinton, Iowa., were projected to see final departures in the third week of October. Upper-river locks will undergo seasonal closures between December and March 2025.
Illinois River:
Maximum loading drafts continued at 9.5 feet for Miles 1-231 and 9.0 feet above Mile 231 on the Illinois River.
Lockport Lock is scheduled to shut completely on Jan. 14-March 11, 2025, for vertical lift gate installation, blocking travel to and from the Chicago area. Lockport Lock is located at Mile 291.
Ohio River:
Towing reductions continued on the Ohio River, sources said. Drafts were reduced by 5-10% depending on location and direction of travel.
The Markland Lock main chamber is offline for 19 hours daily through Aug. 30, forcing detours through the secondary chamber. The lock is scheduled to close once more between Sept. 8 and Oct. 6. Delays were quoted in the 4-20 hour range during the week.
The Hannibal Lock main chamber is offline for miter gate repairs through Nov. 8, prompting waits up to 26 hours. McAlpine Lock is shut to southbound travel from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 30, with delays reported up to 13 hours.
The primary chamber at John T. Myers Lock is slated to close from Aug. 21 through Nov. 9, with long delays expected. Belleville Lock will experience a round of 30-day main and auxiliary chamber shutdowns before the end of the year.
Delays were reported up to 23 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock. Wait times ran up to 14 hours at both Pickwick Landing Lock and Wilson Lock during the week.
Construction at Lock 3 of the Monongahela River will effectively close the river to commercial navigation through approximately Aug. 25, sources said.
Arkansas River:
Van Buren Bridge repairs scheduled for Aug. 22 through Sept. 8 will completely close the site to navigation. The Corps is said to be planning a single opening to pass queued vessels sometime after the ninth day of work, though shuttle barges will be free to pass whenever the channel is free of equipment.
Webbers Falls Lock is scheduled to close from Aug. 26 through Sept. 8 for miter gate inspection. Sporadic delays and shutdowns are expected leading up to the closure.