Current Traffic

TUESDAY 3/02/10
Please see the below request from our friends at the Galveston Corps of Engineers regarding their need to access placement areas in the High Island area. Anything we might do to clear the banks in this area would be most appreciated. The Corps is working on getting mooring buoy contracts out so we can get some of our buoys repaired.

We currently have a contract with ECC to do levee repairs and erosion protection on Placement Areas 28, 33, 34 and 35 along the GIWW. What is happening according to our engineer and construction representatives is that barges are parking along the shores of these placement areas and are not allowing the contractor proper access to the placement areas. In one area there were so many barges that the contractor was totally blocked from being able to get out with his equipment. I need some help in this reach. Is there some way we can keep the barges from using these sites as parking lots until the construction is over?

View a map showing the location of each of the placement areas by clicking the below link.

MAP OF PLACEMENT AREAS

TUESDAY 3/02/10
The Bayou Sorrel Bridge will be closed to marine Traffic from 7:30 AM -1:00 PM today. At 1:00 PM the bridge will open until 3:00 PM for marine traffic. We are to get another update from the bridge later today on the operation. They are testing new hydraulic winches on the bridge.

MONDAY 3/01/10
The Old River will be closed for pipeline operations on March 2 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The Houston Ship Channel will be closed from Cemex to the Battleship Texas on March 3 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

MONDAY 3/01/10
The fleeting protocol has gone into effect as of today, March 1.

1. Limit use of Bolivar and Pelican mooring buoys to 72 hours max, unless weather prevents.
2. Mooring Buoys will be used by boats with their specific barges in tow only. No unattended (shared) barges are allowed.
3. Maximum width allowed on the mooring buoys in the GIWW is 110 feet.
4. Only boats with their specific barges in tow are allowed on the Mud Bank (San Jacinto River). No barges are permitted past Channel Shipyard drydock toward the ship channel. Maximum time allowed per tow is 48 hours, and maximum width from the bank outward is 162 feet. TOWS MUST RECEIVE CLEARANCE FROM VTS PRIOR TO SECURING ON THE MUD BANK.
5. Do not enter the Houston Harbor without a verified fleeting spot or dock berth. We ask for the help of all docks and terminal operators in accepting a "Notice of Arrival" from inbound tows before they attempt to turn inbound from the GIWW. This is not a formal "Tender", but a notice that the tow is headed inbound and will expect dock space upon arrival, or otherwise will find a safe berth. The practice of not accepting a Notice of Arrival has forced tows to proceed "right to the door" and then be told that they must wait "outside" for several more hours or days. Any help that terminals and docks can provide in this time of limited space will be most appreciated by all.

TUESDAY 2/23/10
The GIWW will be closed for 5 hour periods of time, followed by a traffic clearing period, from now until mid-March for pile driving operations at the Westbank Closure Complex, Mile 7 WHL. No tow should have to wait more than 5 hours before being cleared.

MONDAY 2/22/10
A strong winter weather system is heading our way over the next three days beginning tomorrow afternoon. Forecasters are mentioning snow, sleet, and temps in the low 30's. Expect some strong north winds, strong ebb tides, and low water conditions from Tuesday evening through Thursday or Friday. Caution will be needed at Bolivar Inbound Alternate Route, Galveston Railroad Bridge, Matagorda Bay (favor the red side east of the intersection), West Port Arthur Bridge (check the current meter before transiting), etc. Please keep widths on the mooring buoys to no more than 110 feet to allow traffic to pass. See the Houston Area Volunteer Staging Protocol sent out on Friday for more info. Also, please report ATON discrepancies.

SATURDAY 2/13/10
Shoaling was reported at the Matagorda Ship Channel intersection today. Mariners should stay off the GREEN side by about 100 feet when transiting within one quarter mile east of the ship channel, heading west toward the ship channel. There is also shoaling at Mile 420.4 all the way across the channel near Caney Creek. Mariners are encouraged to time crossings with loads at high tide. We know of two groundings with drafts around 9'-9" recently. This area is scheduled for dredging.

FRIDAY 2/12/10
HIGH WATER SAFETY ADVISORY: SAFETY ZONE AT LMR MM 225 TO MM 240

As a result of the Baton Rouge gauge reading 35.0 feet and a predicted rise, the COTP New Orleans has implemented the following requirements from MM 225 to MM 240, LMR:

Canal Towing vessels and tow operators:
A.  Canal towing companies and tow operators pushing tows greater than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, are required to use a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1800 horsepower when entering the Port Allen Locks. 
B.  Tows greater than 300 feet but less than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, must use a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1000 horsepower when entering the Port Allen Locks. 
C.  Canal towing companies and tow operators pushing tows greater than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, exiting the Port Allen Locks intending to head northbound shall initially proceed southbound and then top around below MM 226 at Red Eye Crossing with the assistance of a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1000 horsepower.
D.  Tows less than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, exiting the Port Allen Locks intending to head northbound shall initially proceed southbound and then top around below MM 226 at Red Eye Crossing and should consider the use of a private assist vessel. 
E.  It is required that tow companies entering or exiting the Port Allen Locks, meet or exceed the required 280 horsepower per regulation barge.

Line Towing vessels and tow operators:
A.   Southbound traffic shall transit the zone during daylight hours and not
meet or pass from MM 232 to MM 237.
B.  Northbound traffic unable to make a minimum sustained speed of 3 miles per hour throughout the zone must utilize a private assist vessel. 
C.  Tank barges must be placed in the most protected position within the tow makeup. 
D.  For tows made up after 12 February 2010, the maximum tow size must be limited to 30 regulation barges with a minimum of 280 horsepower per barge for southbound transits.

For further information, contact the following: Coast Guard Command Center New Orleans:  (504) 846-5923 Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge:  (225) 281-4785

FRIDAY 2/12/10
LMR 35' and Rising: we suddenly jumped to 35.0' today (+0.4'), therefore we will be implementing the Canal side requirements ... no VTCC. Excerpt from draft MSIB is below.

Canal Towing vessels and tow operators:
A.  Canal towing companies and tow operators pushing tows greater than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, are required to use a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1800 horse power when entering the Port Allen Locks. 
B.  Tows greater than 300 feet but less than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, must use a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1000 horse power when entering the Port Allen Locks. 
C.  Canal towing companies and tow operators pushing tows greater than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, exiting the Port Allen Locks intending to head northbound shall initially proceed southbound and then top around below MM 226 at Red Eye Crossing with the assistance of a private assist vessel with a minimum of 1000 horse power.
D.  Tows less than 600 feet in length, excluding the length of the towing vessel, exiting the Port Allen Locks intending to head northbound shall initially proceed southbound and then top around below MM 226 at Red Eye Crossing and should consider the use of a private assist vessel. 
E.  It is required that tow companies entering or exiting the Port Allen Locks, meet or exceed the required 280 horse power per regulation barge.

FRIDAY 2/12/10
Please be advised of the Safety Zone near the from the Krotz Springs Railroad Bridge to the South.  A UTV pushing a single crane barge struck the bridge and the UTV sank, luckily no fatalities or serious injuries, all crewmembers are safe.  The ETA for the bridge reopening is after 1000, they need to get the crane barge removed from the supports before reopening to marine traffic.  We will pass more information as it comes available.

THURSDAY 2/11/10
The 30-day trial period of the Bayou Sorrel and Grosse Tete Bridge Curfew extension has been completed with no adverse comments being received. The curfew will be revised to close to marine traffic from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. weekdays.

WEDNESDAY 2/10/10
Two tows grounded at the Matagorda Intersection today with 10 foot drafts. It appears buoys were moved off station (and went unreported) to cause these groundings. Now we know that two buoys have been destroyed and/or moved with the last grounding. There is probably plenty of deep water, but we won't know where it is until the Coast Guard ANT Team gets out tomorrow to re-establish the buoys (13/13A). Please use extreme caution in the meantime.  Please report any disturbance of these buoys to Coast Guard Port O'Connor right away. Our thanks to Chief Dan Plumley and Mike Warner for their help here.

TUESDAY 2/09/10
The LS gage is at 5.5 feet and rising at Bayou Sorrel. Please maintain slow bell speeds to avoid creating a wake.

TUESDAY 2/09/10
The river is running at 5.1 MPH at the Brazos River Floodgates. Extreme caution is advised. East gate tides 1.9 river and 1.0 canal - a .9 foot difference; west gate tides 1.9 river and 2.6 canal - a .7 foot difference.

FRIDAY 2/06/10
HIGH WATER SAFETY ZONE: LMR MM 225 TO MM 240 - In result of the Baton Rouge gauge reading 33 feet and expected to continue to rise, the COTP New Orleans has implemented a Safety Zone from MM 225 to MM 240, Lower Mississippi River (LMR). The following requirements will apply to this Safety Zone:

Canal Towing Vessels and tow operators:
1. Canal Tows 600 feet in length or greater, excluding the length of the towing vessel, are required to use a Private Assist Vessel with a minimum of 1000 horse power when entering and exiting the Port Allen Locks.
2. Canal Tows exiting the Port Allen Locks intending to head northbound shall initially proceed southbound and then top around at or below MM 226 prior to heading north.
3. Canal Tows shall limit their tows to 280 horsepower per barge or 1 horsepower per 5 tons.

Line Towing Companies and tow operators:
1. Line Towing companies and tow operators shall use towing vessels with a horsepower ratio of greater than 240 hp per barge and a maximum of 36 barges per tow for southbound transit around Wilkinson Point and throughout the Regulated Navigation Area (RNA), MM 225 to MM 240 LMR.
2. Extra care should be taken to coordinate intentions with other vessels on VHF CH-67 due to congestion and increased radio traffic around the Wilkinson Point area. All vessels are reminded to use caution when transiting the area.
3. Owner / Operators are reminded to ensure towing vessel inspections are completed before entering the RNA as per 33 CFR 164 and 33 CFR 165.810 (f).
4. Line Towing companies should consider staffing vessels with the most experienced crews.

For further information, contact the following:
Coast Guard Command Center New Orleans: (504) 846-5923
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge: (225) 298-5400

FRIDAY 2/05/10
The KFMS dredge Leonard Fisher is dredging at the TXDOT ferry landing on the Bolivar side of the Bolivar Peninsula. There is a 20-inch dredge pipeline on the north bank of the intracoastal from approximately Mile 348 to Mile 344. The pipe is located in approximately three to five feet of water along the north bank. There is also a submerged pipeline crossing at approximately Mile 348, Beacon 14 and 15A. Please avoid pushing into the bank in this area.

WEDNESDAY 2/03/10
Westbank Closure Complex Floodgate Project: Coming up soon this month will be periodic closures of the Intracoastal Waterway just west of the Algiers-Harvey Intersection for construction on the floodgate there. The plan is to close the waterway for 5 hour periods and then clear waiting traffic. This will last about 2 weeks. Later this year will be other closings of the waterway at this location for several months. Details of these later closings are being developed now.

WEDNESDAY 2/03/10
Lake Borgne Floodgate Project: Please prepare for upcoming traffic changes due to this project. The hurricane closure of the Barge Gate will be a major impact to all GIWW users east of New Orleans.

1. Beginning sometime in March, the GIWW will be closed nightly for about 60 days while pile driving operations for the main sector gate are completed. The traffic control vessel "Watchdog" will coordinate traffic during this period.

2. Beginning in May, all barge traffic will be routed through the 150 foot-wide barge gate structure located on the south side of the main GIWW channel. The structure will be very fragile and relatively unprotected during the 12 months that we will be using it. The sector gate will be under construction during this period. We will have current flow and wind information available to us. All tows will be required to have an assist boat hard-wired to the head of the tow during transit. The Corps will provide this assist boat free of charge. The Corps is planning for two assist boats to serve this function during the 12 month period. We will provide industry Vessel Traffic Coordinators for the initial few days of this operation to be sure all goes well.

3. The barge gate will also provide flood protection during this period. Its closure operation requires very low current flows as well as low winds. It will require 24 hours to complete its closure. All of this means that the Intracoastal Waterway may be closed to all traffic as early as 4 days before projected landfall of a hurricane. As many of you know, this means a closure of the GIWW when ever a storm system enters the Gulf of Mexico. Bottom Line could be that the Intracoastal Waterway east of New Olreans is closed at the floodgate far in advance of a storm, and that it closes frequently. This condition will persist during the hurricane season of 2010, and until the sector gate is open for use sometime in 2011.

WEDNESDAY 2/03/10
The Intracoastal Waterway will be closed at the Galveston Causeway from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays, with a mid-day traffic clearing period, beginning February 8. This is to remove old fenderworks piling from the channel.

TUESDAY 1/26/10
Calcasieu Locks will be closed for guidewall repairs from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, beginning February 8th and continuing for the next 60 to 90 days.

FRIDAY 1/22/10
North American Shipyard, in Larose, will have a large vessel on their drydock soon and it will be there for approximately 3 weeks. It will extend into the navigable channel for several feet, but reportedly leave us plenty of room to pass. Please use caution and consider the area as one-way traffic, no passing. The Coast Guard is monitoring this activity, as well as additional congestion along the waterway and the blinding lights in the area. Please report any problems to GICA or MSU Houma.

MONDAY, 12/21/09
Repair work on the Colorado River Locks has been extended from May 14, 2009 through March 14, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. This work will require closures of the Locks during these designated periods of work.

EAST LOCK MOORING WALL REPAIR WORK WILL CONTINUE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY MARCH 14, 2010. Mariners are urged to comply with the posted NO WAKE areas where construction activities are in progress. Users should be aware that lock operations will return to closures of 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM if worker safety is jeopardized by inattention to this requirement, thereby only allowing passage of tows at night, between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

EAST LOCK NOTE: STARTING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009. Colorado River East Locks will open for transit of small craft of beam no larger than 16 feet when contractor is working in the lock chamber. Tows will only be permitted to pass between 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM when no construction is occurring. Mariners are urged to transit at their slowest safe speed to minimize wake and proceed with caution.

SMALL CRAFT NOTE: WEST LOCK OPENING FOR SMALL CRAFT STARTING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009. Colorado River West Locks will open for transit of small craft of beam no larger than 16 feet from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM each day during the following periods shown below. Tows will only be permitted to pass between 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM when no construction is occurring. Note that this tentative scheduling subject to changing construction requirements.

PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE:

Dec 17 to Dec 23: Construction in progress. Expect West Lock closure from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM during this period.
Dec 24 to Jan 3: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Jan 4 to 9: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.
Jan 10 to 13: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Jan 14 to 22: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.
Jan 23 to 27: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Jan 28 to Feb 5: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.
Feb 6 to Feb 10: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Feb 11 to 19: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.
Feb 20 to 24: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Feb 25 to Mar 5: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.
Mar 6 to 9: No construction activities. West Lock expected to be open to all traffic.
Mar 10 to 14: Construction in progress. Small craft note 1-1:30 PM opening.

NOTE: The current maintenance activities are likely to continue daily, seven days per week, until contract completion. Contract completion estimated as March 2010. Lock closures will be likely when contract maintenance activities are in progress.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Width of the Colorado River Locks has been reduced to 74 .4 feet due to utilization of fender systems in Sector Gate recesses during the contract to rehabilitate the East and West Locks. Care should be taken to avoid damage by tows when entering or exiting the Locks where the gates are removed and the fender systems are installed. Over-width tows in excess of 55 feet will only transit during daylight hours. Any information needed may be obtained by contacting the Lockmaster at the Colorado River Locks, Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each day at 979-863-2318.

COOPERATION SOLICITED: Mariners should contact the Lock Master at (979) 863-7842 to confirm the closure time so as to minimize their delay. Mariners are advised that commercial and recreational traffic will not be allowed through the lock during periods of closure.

MONDAY, 11/13/06
Restrictions at the Galveston Railroad Bridge remain as follows:
1. Tows consisting exclusively of empty barges are limited to 600 feet in length (not including the towing vessel).
2. All tows, empty or loaded, are restricted to a maximum width of 70 feet.
3. Tows made up of loaded and empty barges are unrestricted in length provided that at least half of the barges are loaded.
4. Tows made up of all loaded barges are unrestricted in length.
5. Tows, loaded or empty, are unrestricted in length if operating with a bow steering unit.
6. Westbound tows consisting exclusively of empty barges and including more than one barge must have an assist vessel.

An alternate transit procedure is available to mariners at this location. Restrictions above remain in place. The alternate procedure is optional - not mandatory.

To contact the bridge operator by phone, call 817.867.1901 or 817.867.1902.

Color Codes

A problem exists.

Caution is advised.

A problem has been cleared.

Additional Information

Brazos Floodgates current lock status

Colorado Locks current lock status, velocity and gauge readings

MSO Corpus Christi Port Security Information Bulletins and Marine Security Information

Galveston Causeway weather.

NOAA Arkansas River Forecast

NOAA Mississippi River Forecast

NOAA Tides and Currents

USACE Galveston District current lock status

USACE Mobile District navigation page.

USACE New Orleans District proposed schedule for major lock repairs

USACE New Orleans District current lock status

Inner Harbor Navigation Canal bridge repair and maintenance closures

Houston/Galveston Vessel Traffic Service

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