U.S. Gulf: Industrial Lock remained shut down last week after a set of newly installed hydraulic valves failed to open lock gates on Dec. 8. The Corps began replacement valve installation on Dec. 14, and shippers expected boats to begin locking on Dec. 16.
Industrial Lock has been closed to marine traffic since Aug. 1 for dewatering, maintenance, and repairs. Shippers have reported considerable delays while detouring through Bayou Baptiste Collette and Chandeleur Sound. Work was originally scheduled to conclude Nov. 27, but unseasonably high river levels and inclement weather slowed efforts, sources said.
Daytime transit closures continued in the West Canal at the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge (Miles 357-358). Dredging and debris removal crews operating on a 12-days on, two-days off schedule will force traffic to pass during overnight and non-working hours through January 2017.
Shippers reported average Algiers Lock delays in the 2-5 hour range for the week, and Port Allen Lock waits were called three hours on Dec. 14. Shippers reported five-hour delays at Bayou Sorrel Lock, while transit through Calcasieu Lock was quoted at nine hours on Dec. 14.
Pipeline dredging at the Brazos River Floodgates, originally scheduled to conclude Nov. 11, has been extended until further notice, according to a Corps posting.
Lower Mississippi River: Persistent low-water conditions on the Lower Mississippi River extended navigation restrictions last week, shippers said. Tows have been capped at 35 barges since Nov. 30. Forecasts called for the Baton Rouge gauge to crest at 13.6 feet on Dec. 17.
Stack Island dike work is projected to force slowdowns in the Lake Providence area through Feb. 10.
Upper Mississippi River: A planned 70-foot width limit will complicate Lock 21 navigation between Dec. 15 and Feb. 28, shippers warned.
The limit should theoretically allow doublewide tows to make passage, but a lack of tow haulage equipment expected to be available during the project will require captains to rely on industry self-help to maneuver into and out of the lock. Longer tows will be required to stage barges and make multiple passes while work is underway.
The upstream and downstream tow haulage systems at Lock 22 will also be unavailable on Jan. 2-24. Length and width restrictions will be in effect.
Repairs are scheduled to close the Mel Price Lock main chamber on Jan. 17-25, leaving vessels to transit via the auxiliary chamber. Delays are anticipated.
Rock removal at Thebes, Ill., is slated to begin when river levels sink below 15 feet at Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Cape Girardeau gauge read 18.85 feet and falling on Dec. 14, and was expected to hit 15 feet on Dec. 20-21. Shippers are bracing for daylight-hour navigation restrictions once work gets underway.
Illinois River: Dive operations were scheduled to close Starved Rock Lock from 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. on Dec. 13-15, with delays expected. Inspections at Dresden Island Lock shuttered navigation on Dec. 15-16. Peoria Lock resumed locking last week, but LaGrange Lock continued to pass vessels freely.
Ice formation in the Chicago area will likely trigger navigation delays throughout Illinois in the next 7-10 days, shippers predicted.
Ohio River: A Dec. 12 hydraulic failure at the Ohio River’s New Cumberland Lock (Mile 54) caused massive backups last week. Sources believed a full repair would require a complete dewatering and minimum four-week shutdown. Both the lock’s main and auxiliary chambers were limited by the hydraulic failure.
Instead, the Corps announced plans to install a temporary hydraulic bypass requiring an estimated two weeks of work, with lock operators planning to manually open and close lock gates until the bypass is completed. Shippers estimated transit delays of at least 48-72 hours for the week.
Falling water levels required the raising of wickets at Lock 52, with subsequent transit times quoted in the 7-17 hour range. Wickets remained down at Lock 53, allowing vessels to pass without locking.
The auxiliary chamber at R.C. Byrd Lock is closed through Jan. 30 for repairs. Minimal delays have been reported.
The Cumberland River’s Old Hickory Lock resumed daytime operations on Dec. 11. Repairs had limited navigation since Dec. 5.
On the Monongahela River, the Braddock Lock and Dam river chamber remained unavailable due to an ongoing mechanical failure, forcing boats to pass via the land chamber instead.