Locks along the Columbia and Snake Rivers will be closed for 11 weeks beginning this Sunday.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will do routine maintenance and replace old equipment. Stakeholders were fully aware of the closure and said they would manage as demand is not as taxing right now. However, if challenges continue along the Panama Canal, the system could see extra business for wheat, corn, and soybeans. Those needs will have to be met by rail shippers, which could increase shipping costs for farmers.
Locks are expected to return to service by the end of March.
