Vessel Strikes Mississippi River Lock and Dam

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Mississippi River traffic has been halted near St. Louis after a vessel struck a lock and dam yesterday morning.

U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Colin Fogarty says the accident happened around 5 a.m. at Lock and Dam 27 near Granite City, Illinois, just north of St. Louis. No one was hurt but the lock dam was damaged, forcing closure of the structure. Fogarty did not have information about what type of vessel collided with the lock and dam.  By late afternoon, 11 southbound and five northbound tows with a combined 87 barges were waiting to get through. It wasn't immediately clear when the lock would reopen.