[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 145 (Friday, July 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18548]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: July 29, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
33 CFR Part 117
[CGD05-94-046]
RIN 2115-AE47
Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gallants Channel, Beaufort, NC
agency: Coast Guard, DOT.
action: Temporary rule.
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summary: In order to evaluate changes requested by the Carteret County
Chamber of Commerce through the North Carolina Department of
Transportation to the drawbridge opening regulation for the U.S. 70
Bridge across Gallants Channel, mile 0.1, in Beaufort, North Carolina,
the Coast Guard is temporarily changing the regulations for a 60-day
period. The flow of traffic across the bridge and the impact on marine
traffic through the bridge during this period will be evaluated to
determine whether the existing regulations should be amended. The
current regulation requires that the bridge open on signal every hour
on the half hour from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for pleasure craft. The
bridge opens on demand for all other vessels. The change being tested
will have the bridge open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., three times an hour;
on the hour and twenty and forty minutes after the hour for all waiting
vessels, commercial and recreational. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the
bridge shall open on signal.
These changes to the drawbridge regulations are intended to provide
for regularly scheduled drawbridge openings to reduce motor vehicle
delays and congestion resulting from random bridge openings while still
providing for the reasonable needs of navigation.
effective dates: This regulation becomes effective at 6 a.m. Eastern
Daylight Time (EDT) on Monday, August 1, 1994. It terminates at 6 p.m.
(EDT) on Thursday, September 29, 1994. Comments must be received on or
before September 29, 1994.
for further information contact: Ann B. Deaton, Bridge Administrator,
Fifth Coast Guard District, (804) 398-6222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
The Coast Guard encourages interested persons to participate in
this rulemaking by submitting written data, views, or arguments.
Persons submitting comments should include their names and addresses,
identify this rulemaking (CGD05-94-046) and the specific section of
this deviation to which each comment applies, and give the reason for
each comment. The Coast Guard requests that all comments and
attachments be submitted in an unbound format suitable for copying and
electronic filing. If not practical, a second copy of any bound
material is requested. Persons wanting acknowledgment of receipt of
comments should enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope.
The Coast Guard will consider all comments received during the
comment period. It may change this deviation in view of the comments.
The Coast Guard plans no public hearing. Persons may request a
public hearing by writing to the Commander (ob) at the address under
ADDRESSES. The request should include reasons why a hearing would be
beneficial. If it determines that the opportunity for oral
presentations will aid this rulemaking, the Coast Guard will hold a
public hearing at a time and placed announced by a later notice in the
Federal Register.
Drafting Information
The drafters of this regulation are Bill H. Brazier, Project
Officer, and LT Monica L. Lombardi, Project Attorney, Fifth Coast Guard
District.
Discussion of Regulation
The Carteret County, Chamber of Commerce, through the North
Carolina Department of Transportation, originally requested the Coast
Guard to change the operating regulations of the Beaufort U.S. 70
bridge to restrict navigational openings to commercial users to one
opening at the top of each hour, and restrict recreational boaters to
one opening at the bottom of the hour. To supplement this request, they
provided copies of 1993 bridge logs which showed as many as 480
openings per month during the peak summer season. These logs showed the
bridge opened as many as eight times an hour for commercial vessels. We
also were provided with traffic counts by the North Carolina Department
of Transportation which showed average annual vehicle traffic counts of
20,000 per day during the peak tourist season. The numerous openings of
the bridge cause vehicular traffic delays and traffic safety problems.
At times, bridge openings have backed traffic up through the downtown
area of Beaufort to the east and west into Morehead City across the
channel. The intent of the requested restrictions is to reduce the
number of bridge openings and improve the flow of highway traffic.
The Coast Guard conducted an investigation into the operation of
the bridge, consulting with the bridge tenders, the Mayor and City
Council of Beaufort, North Carolina Department of Transportation
personnel and some of the local commercial waterway users and highway
users. The Coast Guard, in response to comments received during our
investigation, has decided to pursue a more balanced approach than that
originally requested by conducting a test which may lead to the
establishment of a schedule that will strike a reasonable and
beneficial compromise for both modes of transportation. We therefore
will test for sixty days a temporary schedule providing three openings
per hour for all vessels, the first at the top of the hour, the second
at twenty minutes past the hour, and the third at forty minutes past
the hour from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. This temporary change to the existing
regulation is intended to establish a schedule that will meet the
reasonable needs of the waterway users and at the same time diminish
delays to and improve the flow of motor vehicles crossing the bridge.
Federalism
This action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612, and it has been determined
that the proposed rulemaking does not have sufficient federalism
implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117
Bridges.
Temporary Regulations
In consideration of the foregoing, the Coast Guard will temporarily
amend Part 117 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations as follows:
PART 117--DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS
1. The authority citation for Part 117 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 499; 49 CFR 1.46; 33 CFR 1.05-1(g); 33 CFR
117.43.
2. Section 117.822 is temporarily revised to read as follows: (This
is a temporary rule and will not appear in the Code of Federal
Regulations).
Sec. 117.822 Beaufort Channel, North Carolina
(a) From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., the draw shall open on signal for all
vessels waiting to pass every hour on the hour, twenty minutes past the
hour and forty minutes past the hour.
(b) From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the bridge shall open on signal.
(c) This temporary rule is effective from August 1, 1994, through
September 29, 1994.
Dated: July 22, 1994.
W.J. Ecker,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 94-18548 Filed 7-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-14-M