Stay Up-to-Date on Waterway/Lock Closures
Waterway/Lock Closure Listings
Chicago Harbor Lock
Chicago Harbor Lock will be closed nightly from 1800 through 0600 starting on Monday October 26, 2026 through Saturday October 31, 2026. (The first closure will begin 1800 Monday October 26; last closure will end 0600 Saturday October 31) In the event the work concludes early, the remaining closures will be cancelled. The purpose of the closures is for divers to install measurement equipment into the lock chamber floor.
Chester Bridge Demolition, Mississippi River
Missouri Route 51/Illinois Route 150 (just below Kaskaskia River) is scheduled to close the morning of Sept. 28 for the implosion of the Chester Bridge over the Mississippi River, weather permitting. All roadways within 1,000 feet of the bridge will be closed during the controlled explosion. The blast is tentatively scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Following the implosion, the demolition team will work to remove the truss pieces from the river within 48 hours, allowing the river channel to reopen to boat and barge traffic.
Olmstead Lock, Ohio River, 964.4
The River Chamber (1200’) will be closed from 5 October 2026 through 13 November 2026 for the USACE Heavy Capacity Fleet to perform a dewatering and make repairs to miter gates. All traffic will use the Land Chamber (1200’) during this time.
Navigation Traffic Shall take all direction from the Olmsted Lock Tower.
Barkely Lock, Cumberland River Mile 30.6
Barkley Lock will be CLOSED to navigation starting at 0600 CST on Monday, 10 August 2026 through Wednesday, 30 September 2026 to make repairs to the miter gates.
- Traffic may pass by taking the alternate route via Kentucky Lock and the Barkley Canal.
- Contact the Lock Operator on duty via Marine Radio Channel 13/16 for more information or call the Lockmaster at Barkley Lock (270) 362-9131.
Kentucky Lock, Tennessee River Mile 22.4
If you’re heading for the Kentucky Lock, please read this article. There are no immediate changes for recreational vessels, but you should be aware of the situation and expect further delays. The article does mention that if the commercial backlog becomes more substantial, they may scheduled lockages of recreational vessels for specific times.
Tennessee-Tombigee Waterway, Mississippi
Notice is given to mariners that routine maintenance closures have been scheduled for Glover Wilkins and Thad Cochran Locks. The locks will be closed for 30 days to perform critical maintenance activities. The current schedule is listed below:
Glover Wilkins Lock - River Mile 376.3
- Closure beginning: 09 September 2026 at 0600
- Lock re-opening: 10 October 2026 at 1800
Thad Cochran Lock - River Mile 371.1
- Closure beginning: 10 September 2026 at 0600
- Lock re-opening: 10 October 2026 at 1800
If locks re-open prior to the scheduled date, an updated Notice to Mariners will be issued. For any additional information please contact Roger Wilson, Jr. at the Tennessee-Tombigbee Project Management Office at (662) 245-5500.
Okeechobee Waterway
Staggered closures of two locks on the Okeechobee Waterway will require that Looper traffic from January through April of 2027 go through the Keys.
The W.P. Franklin Lock will be closed to all traffic for dewatering and major maintenance from 4 JANUARY 2027 to 1 MARCH 2027. No passage through WP Franklin Lock will be available during this critical scheduled maintenance. The Ortona Lock will open to local traffic only from 4 JAN 2027 to 1 MARCH 2027.
The Ortona Lock will be closed to all traffic for dewatering and major maintenance from 1 MARCH 2027 to 30 APRIL 2027. No passage through Ortona Lock will be available during this critical scheduled maintenance. The WP Franklin Lock will be open to local traffic only, from 1 MARCH 2027 to 30 APRIL 2027
Notice is given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is advising commercial and recreational vessels to always check lake and canal levels daily when making navigation decisions. You may check lake and route depths at: https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml
