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GICA met with USACE New Orleans District on Friday, 16 Sep 22, to identify anticipated maintenance and repairs on the District's locks in the next 6-12+ months. This meeting was a follow-up to the quarterly meeting GICA held with the USACE New Orleans District 6 May 22.
The quarterly meetings are intended to identify potential navigation impacts and restrictions as soon as possible and provide GICA members a seat at the table to identify and articulate any potential concerns with the proposed work schedules as early as possible to maximize coordination with the USACE.
Below are the anticipated maintenance and repair projects for the next 6- 12+ months and the associated navigation impacts anticipated at this time.
This report will be reviewed quarterly with the USACE New Orleans District, updated as needed, and subsequently shared with GICA membership for enhanced visibility and awareness.
Updates to the 6 May 22 GICA NAV ALERT resulting from the 16 Sep 22 meeting are noted in RED below.
Calcasieu Lock Guidewall and Armoring Repairs
Currently ongoing DAYTIME closures Monday thru Thursday. Work will be extended and last most of the year (additional 3-6 months) to complete guide wall repairs.
UPDATE: Lock Guidewall and Armoring repairs have been temporarily suspended due to dewatering and work being completed on Old River Lock. USACE anticipates the Calcasieu Lock Guidewall and Armoring Repairs will resume sometime in December and industry should anticipate Monday - Thursday closures once work resumes.
Algiers Lock Gate Crack Repair
Two (2) weeks of DAYTIME closures likely in July 2022, Monday thru Thursday to support the deployment of divers to patch a crack. Next full dewatering not scheduled for three (3) years.
UPDATE: The repairs have been temporarily suspended due to dewatering and work being completed on Old River Lock. USACE anticipates the need for two weeks of daytime closures once the work resumes.
Port Allen Lock Floating Guidewall Concrete Repairs
Work could begin soon and should not require FULL closures. However a DAYTIME closure once or twice may be needed. Work will require tows to stay off floating guidewall.
UPDATE: The majority of the work is complete. Once additional materials arrive, 3-5 days of work remain. USACE anticipates work will not require closures but will require vessels to stay off the floating guide wall.
Port Allen Lock Tainter Valve Refurbishment
USACE anticipate beginning work in June or July 2022 to remove one of the Tainter Valves which may require 5-7 days of DAYTIME closures Monday thru Friday. Install of 1st refurbished valve not anticipated until after dewatering of the Old River Lock next Fall. NOTE: Funds received to refurbish three (3) of the tainter valves and only one (1) tainter valve at a time will be refurbished. Majority of work will take place after Old River Lock dewatering has been completed in the late Fall of 2022 and the Old River Lock has been restored to normal operational status.
UPDATE: The first install is complete. The next closure will likely require 7 - 10 days of Daytime Closures to remove the next tainter valve in January or February 2023 AFTER Old River Lock dewatering completed in late November 2022.
Algiers Lock Joint Repairs
USACE anticipates work should begin this Fall (Oct/Nov) and the majority of work will be performed from top of lock wall and not impact traffic. There may be a few DAYTIME closures when divers are needed to address the few joints near the gate bays. Timing for closures in support of the dive operation unknown at this time.
UPDATE: No change.
IHNC Lock SW Bullnose Dolphin
USACE anticipates work should begin this fall (Nov/Dec). Work will include some demolition of existing dolphin and a portion of the river end long guidewall. Some DAYTIME closures are expected, but timing is unknown at this time. Majority of work should not require lock closures.
UPDATE: Contract award and work are delayed until further notice. New award could be as early as January or February 2023 but not certain at this time.
Leland Bowman Lock N Chamberwall Replacement
USACE anticipates work will begin in late spring 2023; work schedule/impacts to navigation unknown at this time. USACE reports the work will be very similar to ongoing work taking place at Bayou Boeuf Lock and should NOT require extensive use of assist vessels, however some width restrictions should be anticipated.
UPDATE: Likely contract award March or April 2023. Minimal impacts to navigation anticipated.
Calcasieu Lock East End Gate Replacement
Gate construction/fabrication should begin in Spring of 2023. Gate installation unknown at this time due to a lack of installation funds. The new gate installation will require a partial dewatering, however the dewatering is at least two (2) years out. USACE anticipates daytime closures for approximately 2-3 months once gate installation initiated.
UPDATE: Gate construction should begin in the Spring of 2023 and USACE anticipates approximately one year to complete. Subsequent gate installation unknown at this time due to a current lack of installation funding. Gate installation NOT anticipated before September 2024.
Leland Bowman Lock Control House Replacement
Schedule unknown at this time, minimal impacts to navigation expected.
UPDATE: USACE anticipates contract award in March or April 2023.
Harvey Lock Valves Replacement
Valve construction should begin in Fall of 2023. Valve/machinery installation unknown at this time due to a lack of installation funds. USACE anticipates installation sometime in the Fall of 2024 and will require a partial and not a full dewatering. Navigation impacts should be minimal, and Algiers will be available during the valve installation.
UPDATE: Valve construction should begin Spring 2023. Installation unknown at this time due to a current lack of installation funding.
Calcasieu Lock North Chamberwall Replacement
Work schedule unknown at this time due to possible repurpose of funds. USACE anticipates work will not begin until after 2024.
UPDATE: USACE anticipates contract award in May or June 2023. Likely daytime impacts starting Summer 2023.
Algiers Riverend Dolphin(s)
Work schedule unknown at this time due to funds. See Notice to Navigation 20-197 and GICA NAV ALERT dated 05JAN22. USACE reporting it is potentially a year, at the earliest, before funding received to complete repairs and they are trying to repurpose existing funds to complete the work sooner. Once funding received, USACE anticipates the work will require DAYTIME closures, 4-5 days a week for approximately 6-9 months. There will also be intermittent full time (24 hour) closures required.
UPDATE: USACE anticipates contract award in March or April 2023. Should not require daily impacts but will require some intermittent day time closures.
IHNC Lock
Canal end bit repairs and walkway/guidewall gap to dolphin installation. Earliest anticipated work is September 2022 for both issues. USACE anticipates the work will take 2-4 weeks with some intermittent DAYTIME closures being required.
Miter Gates Upper Hinge Adjustment and Miter Gates Spherical Pinned Connection Replacement (Ram Connection). Earliest anticipated work is September 2022 for both issues. USACE anticipates the work will require 2-3 days of DAYTIME closures or one, FULL two (2) day closure.
UPDATE: Timeline to begin work noted above unknown at this time. Precise impacts to navigation unknown at this time. USACE will provide updated information as soon as possible once determined.
Bayou Sorrel Lock
Per GICA NAV ALERT issued 1515 6 May 22
GICA reached out to USACE and verified no repairs to the Bayou Sorrel Lock are anticipated for the next several weeks do to Bayou Sorrel gauge exceeding 5 feet.
GICA confirmed a minimum two (2) weeks advance notice will be provided prior to any work initiating on the lock as noted below.
GICA requested clarity regarding assist boat requirements. USACE unable to provide specific requirements because the requirements will change depending on the risk posed by the operations being conducted by the contractor at any given time. USACE particularly concerned with pile driving operations and crane boom operations while vessels are transiting through the lock.
Industry should anticipate a requirement to use an assist vessel at the head of tows moving through the lock when the contractor is working in or adjacent to the chamber in order to continue to pass vessel traffic and not require a full closure during work hours. GICA will work with the USACE to minimize this requirement as much as possible however specific assist vessel requirements will change depending on the type, sensitivity and level of risk of the work conducted.
Industry should also be prepared for intermittent full daytime closures when required work will prohibit the passage of vessels.
GICA will coordinate closely with the USACE to provide as much advance notice as possible when complete closures during normal work hours is anticipated. As noted below, normal work hours are Monday thru Friday from 0630 - 1700.
USACE anticipates the lock will operate normally and lock vessels without the need for an assist vessel outside of normal work hours.
UPDATE: As previously reported, the day time closures scheduled Monday thru Thursday 0700 - 1900 at Bayou Sorrel Lock have been placed on HOLD for the next several weeks due to unforeseen issues associated with pile driving operations. USACE anticipates the routine closures will begin on or about 14NOV22 as of this GICA NAV ALERT.
See note below located on page two of 02SEP22 USCAE NOLA 60-Day Lock Report which states:
Closure times will be from 7am – 7pm Mondays thru Thursdays.
Delays should be expected but during closure times, opportunities for vessel passage may occur and will be utilized.
Passage during all other times will be allowed and queues will be managed by lock personnel to achieve the most efficient reduction of queues.
A copy of the 02SEP22 60-day Lock Report can be found at:
www.gicaonline/links
Bayou Boeuf Lock
Current work and associated daytime closures should be completed by the end of May 2022.
UPDATE: Work has been completed.
USACE anticipates needing 2-3 days of FULL 24 hours closures to repair two (2) damaged hinges. USACE will repair one hinge, reopen lock to traffic to clear any queue and then complete the second and final hinge repair. Repairs anticipated to take place in July or August 2022.
UPDATE: The work on the hinges has been delayed and the USACE does not anticipate the work to be initiated before 2023.
Old River Lock
USACE will have a new crane delivered to the Old River Lock the third week of June. A barge will have to occupy the lock chamber to offload the crane. USACE anticipates 7-14 days of intermittent DAYTIME closures. Lock will pass traffic after hours.
UPDATE: Work has been completed.
USACE will conduct intermittent day time closures the end of June to work on emergency stop log lower carriage machinery.
USACE will conduct intermittent full closures of up to four (4) days to function test the emergency stop log machinery between mid-July and mid-August.
UPDATE: Work regarding emergency stop logs has been delayed until January or February 2023. May require up to four (4) days of complete closure. USACE report they will not extend closure past four (4) days and will reopen after four (4) days and clear the queue as needed. If additional closures necessary, they will take place after the queue has been cleared and subsequent closures will not extend past four (4) days without clearing the queue until all work completed.
Old River Lock will be CLOSED to vessel traffic from mid-August through mid-November. UPDATE: Currently on-going and on schedule. USACE anticipates being able to reopen Old River Lock on 12NOV22 if current construction work schedule can be maintained.
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