U.S. Gulf: Shippers noted persistent fog in the Gulf region last week, with holding periods reported at 3-6 hours daily. Cumulative delays were estimated at a day or more for vessels transiting the region.
Industrial Lock waits ran in a wide 4-18 hour range for the week, while Algiers Lock waits were called up to five hours. Port Allen Lock described 3-7 hour delays, and shippers noted a nine-boat queue at Calcasieu Lock on March 29, with waits reported in a 9-12 hour range.
Dredging continued between Freeport Harbor and Upper Matagorda Bay in the West Canal (Miles 395-400), where operations were running 24 hours daily with no announced completion date. Tows were asked to contact the dredge prior to arrival to arrange passage. A fog caution warning remained in effect at Brazos Lock.
The Corps announced a Harvey Lock closure planned from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30. Bayou Boeuf is tentatively scheduled to undergo a similar shutdown starting in August. No dates have been announced, however, and sources said the work could be pushed back to 2018.
Mississippi River: Lock 14 will undergo a 36-hour closure starting March 30, shippers said. The shutdown will allow for the replacement of the lock’s No. 4 miter gate. The Lock 15 auxiliary chamber will be offline April 4 through Aug. 3.
The Corps reported five-hour processing times at the Mississippi River’s Lock 12 on March 29, and intermittent Lock 15 waits were reported as high as 24 hours for the week. Locks 21, 22, and 25 experienced delays in the 2-4 hour range, while Lock 24 transits were reported at 2-6 hours. Mel Price Lock passage stretched to four hours, and shippers put Lock 27 navigation in the 3-7 hour range on March 29.
The Missouri River is scheduled to open for the 2017 navigation season on April 1.
Illinois River: Dresden Island Lock reported 2-4 hour waits for the week. The Peoria and LaGrange Locks kept dams lowered for the week, allowing vessels to pass without locking.
Peoria lock is due for a pair of 36-hour shutdowns over the May 17-30 period for miter gate installation. Starved Rock upper guide wall maintenance will necessitate 10-hour daily closures from June 1 to July 7. Starved Rock transit will be subject to an 80-foot width limit while the work is underway. LaGrange Lock will experience nighttime-only navigation between June 1 and Aug. 29, with an 80-foot width restriction in place.
Ohio River: The auxiliary chamber at Markland Lock is offline through April 26, sources said, prompting minimal delays. The Meldahl Lock main chamber is scheduled to close May 1 through Sept. 29, leading shipping operators to warn of substantial transit delays.
Montgomery Lock returned to normal operation last week after emergency repairs concluded on March 26. Ironton-Russell Bridge demolition will close Miles 326-328 to navigation on May 17, May 29, and June 15.
Emsworth Lock delays were quoted at 3-7 hours on March 29. The Corps is planning a main chamber shutdown for Emsworth from June 26 through Sept 25. The chamber will close to navigation daily from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., with main chamber passage permitted overnight with an 80-foot width restriction. The auxiliary chamber will remain open, but shippers are predicting “excessive delays.”
On the Monongahela River, a planned Braddock Lock closure was pushed back to the morning of March 30 to alleviate a potential bottleneck resulting from the reopening of Montgomery Lock on March 26. The Braddock Lock and Dam main chamber will remain down through April 28, forcing traffic through the auxiliary chamber, with substantial waits expected.
The Monongahela’s Lock 4 will see repairs May 14 through June 20, closing the lock to weekday transit, triggering “excessive” delays in the process. The auxiliary chamber will be open for weekend navigation, subject to a 35-foot width restriction, with lockings limited to a single barge per turn.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock is shuttered through April 10 for repairs and maintenance, after which intermittent closures are scheduled through April 30. Daytime transit is unavailable at Barkley Lock through April 10, and sporadic navigation closures are expected at Wilson Lock between April 17 and June 8.
Lock 6 on the Allegheny River is closed until further notice due to a hydraulic leak and mechanical failure. Cumberland River channel dredging (Miles 102-104), responsible for mild barge delays stretching back to Jan. 9, is scheduled to conclude on March 31.