News

Recent inland waterways industry news, covering the Mississippi River, Ohio River, Missouri River, Tennessee River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and more. Articles on economic, environmental and logistic advantages of barge shipping, plus other stories pertaining to locks and dams and other waterway infrastructure.

Bid Approved For New Cumberland River Bridge Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A rendering shows a tow passing beneath the new U.S. 60 bridge over the Cumberland River to be built at Smithland, Ky.

Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A rendering shows a tow passing beneath the new U.S. 60 bridge over the Cumberland River to be built at Smithland, Ky.

Bid Approved For New Cumberland River Bridge

July 2, 2020

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has approved a construction bid for a new bridge carrying U.S. 60 across the Cumberland River at Smithland. Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers, Ky., submitted… Read More

Bill To Create Jefferson City, Mo., Port Authority Passed By State Legislature, Goes To Governor

June 26, 2020

A bill that would create an official port district in Jefferson City, Mo., was passed out of the Missouri Senate May 24 and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Mike… Read More

Whitten Lock To Begin Month-Long Closure

June 26, 2020

The Mobile Engineer District is set to close Jamie Whitten Lock, located at Mile 411.9 on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, for the month of July for a dewatering and repairs to… Read More

Contract Dispute Could Disrupt Cave-In-Rock Ferry Service

June 26, 2020

A contract with the operator of the Cave-in-Rock Ferry on the Ohio River is due to lapse after June 30, and its continued operation remains uncertain. Keith Todd, spokesman for… Read More

H.R. 2, The Moving Forward Act, And More This Week Washington Waves

H.R. 2, The Moving Forward Act, And More This Week

June 26, 2020

Washington, D.C.—House Democrats have offered their opening bid for a massive infrastructure package by introducing a $1.5 trillion proposal that includes billions of dollars for the U.S. Army Corps of… Read More

COVID-19 Effects On Cargo Are Hard To Quantify

June 26, 2020

For a few weeks after the onset of lockdowns and restrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis, some of the usual sources of barge data paused while offices reorganized. Now that… Read More

Kindra Marine Adds 1,200-Ton Drydock —photos by Jeff Ellis, courtesy of Kindra Marine Aerial photo of the drydock in use.

Kindra Marine Adds 1,200-Ton Drydock

June 26, 2020

Kindra Marine announced last week that it has acquired a 1,200-ton drydock. The dock, which measures 140 feet long by 50 feet wide with 42 feet between the wing walls,… Read More

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

—Photo courtesy of Louisville Engineer District Two upbound tows lock through at Olmsted Locks and Dam in September 2019. In June, the Corps raised the wickets for the first time in 2020, the fourth time since Olmsted opened in August 2018. By Shelley Byrne River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. “The weather conditions over the past couple of years have been unique, but raising it in June is much more normal,” said Ryan Lawrence, assistant operations manager for the Louisville Engineer District’s locks and dams project office. Olmsted personnel began raising the wicket dam June 18. It had also been raised in August 2018, August 2019 and November 2019, for a total of about 100 days, Lawrence said. The longest period was in August 2019, when the wicket dam held pool for 62 days at 301.5 feet above sea level, maintaining the pool 46 river miles, back to the Smithland Locks and Dam. A more typical elevation at Olmsted is 295 to 300 feet, based on a hinged pool that takes advantage of the natural slope of the river. Crews began lowering the wickets June 23 in response to rainfall in the upper Ohio Valley, but Lawrence said they may need to go back up again in another two weeks or so, given current forecasting that calls for less rain and a falling Mississippi River. The Corps said it expects to raise and lower the wickets an average of four times each season. “But so far we haven’t really had an average year,” Lawrence said. “You do what needs to be done to maintain the river elevations.” Given the weather so far this year, the Corps believes this season may be much closer to a typical one than the last two have been. However, Lawrence cautioned, “As we saw last year, there’s no real way to know. We look at historical trends and what we expect with weather patterns.” Although the Corps had plenty of experience with wickets at the former Locks and Dams 52 and 53, Olmsted modernized the process when it opened in August 2018 on the Ohio River near Olmsted, Ill. In addition, instead of a hook blindly grabbing for a bar on the wickets beneath the water, GPS and a sonar camera aid the process. “They really took the things they learned from 52 and 53 and implemented and improved those things here,” Lawrence said. The Corps has less experience using tainter gates combined with a wicket dam to control flow. Olmsted has five tainter gates, while the former projects didn’t have any, although other Ohio River locks and dams in the district have them. The gates can be opened and closed to maintain the pool without raising and lowering the wickets as frequently. “We’re definitely still learning that,” Lawrence said, adding that Olmsted has a unique combination of factors since high water on the Mississippi River can back up the Ohio to as far as Olmsted and since levels on Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River, Lake Barkley on the Cumberland River and on the Ohio at Smithland

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

June 26, 2020

River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. “The… Read More

Memphis District Begins Revetment Season The Corps’ Mat Sinking Unit performs revetment work at Mississippi River Mile 632 near Fair Landing, Ark. (Photo courtesy of Memphis Engineer District)

The Corps’ Mat Sinking Unit performs revetment work at Mississippi River Mile 632 near Fair Landing, Ark. (Photo courtesy of Memphis Engineer District)

Memphis District Begins Revetment Season

June 24, 2020

The Memphis Engineer District began its revetment season June 11, with District Commander Col. Zachary Miller hosting a kickoff meeting at the Ensley Engineer Yard. The Corps’ Mat Sinking Unit… Read More

Rhodes Assumes Command Of Coast Guard Sector LMR Cmdr. Ryan Rhodes relieved Capt. Roxanne as commander of Sector Lower Mississippi River in a June 4 ceremony. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Cmdr. Ryan Rhodes relieved Capt. Roxanne as commander of Sector Lower Mississippi River in a June 4 ceremony. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Rhodes Assumes Command Of Coast Guard Sector LMR

June 24, 2020

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River held a change of command ceremony June 4, with Cmdr. Ryan Rhodes assuming command from outgoing commanding officer Capt. Roxanne Tamez. Rear Adm. Read More