[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23581-23582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10872]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2017-0460]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Shrewsbury River, Sea Bright, 
New Jersey

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the 
operating schedule that governs the Monmouth County Highway Bridge 
(alternatively referred to as the ``Sea Bright Bridge'' or the ``S-32 
Bridge'') across the Shrewsbury River, mile 4.0, at Sea Bright, New 
Jersey. This deviation will test a proposed change to the drawbridge 
operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change to the 
schedule is warranted. This deviation will allow the bridge to operate 
under an alternate schedule that seeks to balance the seasonally high 
volume of roadway traffic crossing the bridge during peak hours with 
the existing needs of marine traffic.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 9 a.m. on May 25, 2018, to 7 
p.m. on September 3, 2018.
    Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before September 3, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2017-0460 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 test 
deviation, call or email Ms. Donna Leoce, Project Officer, First Coast 
Guard District, telephone 212-514-4332, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    On July 18, 2017, the Coast Guard published a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) entitled, ``Drawbridge Operation Regulation; 
Shrewsbury River, Sea Bright, New Jersey'' in the Federal Register (82 
FR 32777) soliciting comments on the proposed rule through September 
18, 2017. In addition, Commander (dpb), First Coast Guard District 
published Public Notice 1-155 dated July 28, 2017.
    The Monmouth County Highway Bridge, mile 4.0, across the Shrewsbury 
River at Sea Bright, New Jersey, has a vertical clearance of 15 feet at 
Mean High Water and 17 feet at Mean Low Water when the span is in the 
closed position. Vertical clearance is unlimited when the draw is open. 
Horizontal clearance is 75 feet. Waterway users include recreational 
vessels and a limited number of commercial vessels including tug/barge 
combinations.
    The existing drawbridge regulation, 33 CFR 117.755, requires the 
draw of the Monmouth County Highway Bridge to open as follows:
    The draw shall open on signal at all times; except that, from May 
15 through September 30, on Saturday, Sunday and holidays, between 9 
a.m. and 7 p.m., the draw need open only on the hour and half hour.
    This regulation has been in effect since July 6, 2010. The owner of 
the bridge, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, requested 
a change to the drawbridge operating regulations given the increased 
volume of vehicular traffic crossing the bridge associated with the 
summer months. The increase of vehicular traffic has resulted in 
significant traffic congestion on either side of the bridge during peak 
travel hours. The owner of the bridge asserts traffic congestion will 
be relieved through reduction of required bridge openings for vessels.
    Monmouth County also requested that from May 15 to September 30 the 
modified operating regulations presently encompassing Saturdays, 
Sundays, and holidays be expanded to include Fridays as well. Monmouth 
County posited that starting the modified weekend operating schedule on 
Friday will allow for more efficient and economical operation of the 
bridge, given the volume of vehicular traffic crossing the bridge at 
the beginning of the weekend.
    The NPRM published in July 2017, if made a Final Rule, would 
permanently change the operating hours to allow the Monmouth County 
Highway Bridge to open as follows: The draw shall open on signal at all 
times; except that, from May 15 through September 30, on Friday, 
Saturday, Sunday and holidays, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., the draw need 
only open on the hour.
    In response to the comments received, follow-up meetings with 
Monmouth County officials, and further review of bridge logs and 
traffic counts, the Coast Guard now proposes to test an alternate 
schedule by adjusting the proposed rule to allow the draw to open as 
follows: The draw shall open on signal at all times; except that, from 
the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, on Friday, Saturday, 
Sunday and holidays, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., the draw need only open 
on the hour.
    Before advancing the proposed rule to a final rule, the Coast Guard 
supports testing an alternate schedule for the 2018 boating season in 
order to better assess safety concerns and further compare roadway 
traffic counts versus requests for bridge openings. Monmouth County 
plans to record traffic counts during the Memorial Day, July 4th, and 
Labor Day time periods as well as additional one-week periods in July 
and August. Bridge tenders will also collect boat traffic data. Data 
from this test and further public comments will best inform our final 
decision.
    The Coast Guard will also inform the users of the waterways through 
our Local and Broadcast Notices to Mariners of the change in operating 
schedule for the bridge so that vessel operators can 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, indicate the specific section of this

[[Page 23582]]

document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using 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 
personal 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.

    Dated: May 17, 2018.
C.J. Bisignano,
Supervisory Bridge Management Specialist, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2018-10872 Filed 5-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P