[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2735-2736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01549]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0952]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Industrial Seaway Canal, MS

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

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

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing a temporary deviation to the 
operating schedule that regulates the State Route 605 (SR 605), Wilkes 
Road bascule bridge across the Industrial Seaway Canal, mile 11.3 at 
Hansboro, Harrison County, Mississippi. This deviation is needed to 
collect and analyze information on vehicle traffic congestion on SR 605 
created when the drawbridge opens to vessel traffic. This deviation 
allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation. The Coast Guard is 
seeking comments from the public about the impact to both vehicle and 
vessel traffic generated by this change.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 6 a.m. February 8, 2019 through 
6 p.m. June 10, 2019.
    Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard 
on or before June 10, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2018-0952 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
rulemaking, call or email Mr. Doug Blakemore, Eighth Coast Guard 
District Bridge Administrator; telephone (504) 671-2128, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Abbreviations

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
MDOT Mississippi Department of Transportation
NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking
SR State Route
Sec.  Section

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    MDOT has requested to change the operating requirements for the SR 
605 bascule bridge across the Industrial Seaway Canal, mile 11.3, at 
Hansboro, Harrison County, Mississippi. This bridge currently opens on 
signal according to 33 CFR 117.5. MDOT provided the Coast Guard with a 
vehicle traffic study that concluded that vehicle traffic becomes very 
congested on SR 605 during morning and afternoon rush hours and that 
bridge openings for vessels add to the congestion. MDOT informed the 
Coast Guard that this traffic congestion backs up from the bridge to 
the I-10 highway which creates unsafe queues on I-10 and SR 605. This 
MDOT study and analysis is provided in the docket to this temporary 
rule.
    The 120 day temporary deviation to the regulation will allow MDOT 
to collect additional vehicle traffic data to measure the impact of 
bridge closures on traffic congestion. It will also allow the Coast 
Guard to collect data on the impact of the temporary regulation change 
on vessels.
    This bridge has a vertical clearance of 37.1 feet above mean high 
water in the closed to vessel position and unlimited vertical clearance 
in the open to vessel traffic position. From January through December 
2017 the bridge opened for vessel traffic 236 times. During this 
temporary deviation the bridge will operate as follows:
    The draw of the SR 605 bascule bridge across the Industrial Seaway 
Canal, mile 4.5, Hansboro, Harrison County, Mississippi shall open on 
signal; except the draw need not open 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 
6 p.m. Monday through Friday except federal holidays. The bridge will 
open on signal for emergencies.
    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

[[Page 2736]]

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

    Public participation is essential to effective rulemaking. The 
Coast Guard will consider all comments and material received during the 
comment period. If you submit a comment, please include the docket 
number for this rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this 
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, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).
    Documents mentioned in this notification, and all public comments, 
are 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: January 31, 2019.
Douglas Allen Blakemore, Sr.,
Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2019-01549 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P