[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60116-60117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27298]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2017-1026]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Newark Bay, Newark, NJ

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of deviation from drawbridge regulations.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the 
operating schedule that governs the Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge 
across the Newark Bay, mile 4.3, at Newark, New Jersey. The deviation 
is necessary to test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to 
determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. This 
deviation allows the Lehigh Valley RR Bridge to operate under an 
alternate schedule for ninety (90) days to alleviate high volume of 
rail service across the Lehigh Valley RR Bridge and to better 
accommodate vessel traffic.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2018 
to 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2018.
    Comments and related material must reach by the Coast Guard on or 
before March 31, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2017-1026 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this 
temporary deviation, call or email Judy K. Leung-Yee, Project Officer, 
First Coast Guard District; telephone 212-514-4336, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    The Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge across the Newark Bay, mile 4.3, 
at Newark, New Jersey is a lift bridge with a vertical clearance of 35 
feet at mean high water and 39 feet at mean low water in the closed 
position. The existing drawbridge operating regulations are listed at 
33 CFR 117.5 and 33 CFR 117.735.
    The owner of the bridge, Consolidated Rail Corporation, requested a 
change to the Drawbridge Operation Regulations because the volume of 
train traffic and maneuvering of train movements from the adjacent rail 
yard across the bridge cause significant delays to marine traffic.
    The waterway users are seasonal recreational vessels and commercial 
vessels of various sizes.
    The Coast Guard is publishing this temporary deviation to test the 
proposed regulation change to determine whether a permanent change to 
the schedule is necessary to better balance the needs of marine and 
rail traffic.
    Under this deviation, in effect from 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2018 
to 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2018, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge will 
open on signal if at least one hour advance notice is given.
    Vessels able to pass through the bridge in the closed position may 
do so at anytime. There are no alternate routes. The bridge will be 
able to open for emergencies.
    The Coast Guard contacted the waterway users regarding this 
proposed temporary deviation to test a proposed change to the 
Drawbridge Operation Regulations and no objections were received. The 
Coast Guard will also inform the users of the waterways through our 
Local and Broadcast Notices to Mariners and other appropriate local 
media of the change in operating schedule for the bridge so that vessel 
operators may arrange their transits to minimize any impact caused by 
the temporary deviation.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
its regular operating schedule immediately at the end of the effective 
period of this temporary deviation. This deviation from the operating 
regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

II. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If 
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking, indicating the specific section of this document to which 
each comment applies, and provide reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
person information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, visit http://www.regulations.gov/privacynotice.
    Documents mentioned in this notice as being available in this 
docket and all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.


[[Page 60117]]


    Dated: December 14, 2017.
Christopher J. Bisignano,
Supervisory Bridge Management Specialist, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2017-27298 Filed 12-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P