The Port of Houston, Texas is temporarily shut down after a towing vessel pushing three barges filled with scrap metal collided with an electrical tower in Baytown in the early morning hours of October 3. The three barges struck highline electrical tower 197 in Baytown, a tower that supports power lines that cross the Houston Ship Channel.
According to the US Coast Guard, the Houston Ship Channel will remain closed to most vessels until at least late October 5, and possibly until October 6, because of repairs to a damaged tower that supports power cables running over the shipping lane.
A 19 mile safety zone has been set up until crews clear the steel tower and cables from the waterway. Authorities at the Port of Houston have anticipated, however, that although cleanup is expected to be completed by mid-week, it will take about three additional days for traffic to return to normal.
The reason for the crash is still under investigation, however, crew members who were aboard the vessel are being tested for drugs and alcohol.