U.S. Gulf: Shippers reported fog delays in the Gulf, East Canal, and West Canal last week, which caused navigation delays of up to eight hours.
Sources reported Algiers Lock delays in the 8-19 hour range, and wait times at Industrial Lock were noted at 11-16 hours on Feb. 8. Port Allen Lock required up to 10 hours to pass, and navigation through Bayou Sorrel Lock was clocked at 7-9 hours. Calcasieu Lock delays were quoted at 10 hours on Feb. 8.
Shippers reported transit restrictions in the West Canal’s Matagorda Bay area (Mile 471), with navigation limited to 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 3-9 to allow workers to bury an exposed natural gas pipeline. Sources estimated transit delays of approximately one day through the site.
Tentative 60-day shutdowns are scheduled at Harvey Lock and Bayou Boeuf Lock beginning in August. The Corps noted that the Bayou Boeuf closure could still be rescheduled for 2018.
Lower Mississippi River: Southbound tows were limited to 35 barges south of Cairo, Ill., shippers said. Dike work in the Lake Providence area was scheduled to conclude on Feb. 10.
Upper Mississippi River: Intermittent fog delays slowed vessels by 5-8 hours on several occasions last week, shippers said. The conditions, combined with elevated river levels and difficult weather conditions, contributed to barge reductions on southbound tows at Cairo. Vessels were capped at 35 barges per tow, leading to delays of 4-5 days.
Transit through the Madison Railroad Bridge (Mile 389.3) was unavailable Feb. 6-10 due to bridge repairs. Navigation was slated to resume over the weekend before closing again on Feb. 13-17.
Lock 21 transit restrictions in effect through Feb. 28 limited travel to overnight hours only. In addition, tows are subject to a 70-foot width restriction, necessitating triple-wide tows to stage barges and make multiple passes. Tow haulage equipment is unavailable while work is underway, shippers warned, necessitating the use of assist vessels on entry and exit.
Locks closed for the winter navigation season will begin reopening on March 3-4. Actual transit availability will be dependent on a number of river factors, shippers cautioned.
Sources estimated Thebes, Ill., rock removal operations could restart in mid-to-late February. The project has been idle due to river levels exceeding the Corps’ 15-foot depth prerequisite required for work to resume. The Cape Girardeau, Mo., gauge was clocked at 22.16 feet and falling on Feb. 8.
Illinois River: River levels in the Havana and Beardstown areas receded below flood stage for the week. Fog interrupted operations on the Illinois Waterway, triggering sporadic delays of 4-8 hours.
Marseilles Lock delays ran up to seven hours for the week, and Starved Rock Lock reported 10-hour waits. The Peoria and LaGrange Locks remained offline, allowing boats to pass freely.
Ohio River: The National Weather Service (NWS) reported a rapid rise in Ohio River levels, starting at Cincinnati and flowing south. Daily increases of 2-4 feet were forecast at Cincinnati, McAlpine Lock, and Evansville. Levels remained significantly below flood stage as of Feb. 8, but shippers were warned of potential delays should gauge readings continue to rise.
The auxiliary chamber at New Cumberland Lock closed for maintenance on Feb. 6. The work is scheduled to continue through March 17, when the main chamber will also experience intermittent shutdowns. The Markland Lock auxiliary chamber will close March 6 through April 26.
Locks 52 and 53 did not lock for the week, allowing vessels to pass freely.
The Cumberland River will close to transit for approximately 72 hours starting on Feb. 14, sources said, due to construction on the Henry R. Lawrence Bridge (Miles 63-64). Channel dredging and maintenance at Miles 102-104 is scheduled through March 31. Navigation delays have been reported.
The Monongahela River’s Braddock Lock and Dam continued operating without the use of its river chamber, sources said, forcing traffic to pass via the land chamber instead. Shippers speculated that a lock closure scheduled for March 27 through April 28 would return the lock to full operation.
A hydraulic leak responsible for shuttering the Allegheny River’s Lock 6 currently has no scheduled repair date, sources said. The shutdown has effectively closed the river to commercial transit.
Erosion control work at the Tennessee River’s Mile 244 is in progress through April 14. Planned maintenance will limit Kentucky Lock transit to overnight hours on March 7-16, followed by sporadic four-hour closures on March 17-30. Wilson Lock is due for intermittent 10-hour shutdowns running between April 17 and June 8.