[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19731-19732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05930]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2024-0198]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, 
Beaufort, SC

AGENCY: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (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 Lady's Island (Woods Memorial) 
Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) (Beaufort 
River), mile 536.0, at Beaufort, SC. South Carolina Department of 
Transportation (SCDOT) has requested the Coast Guard consider changing 
the operating schedule to remove the seasonal operating schedule 
aligning with other drawbridges along the AICW in SC. This deviation 
will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine 
whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. The Coast Guard 
is seeking comments from the public regarding this deviation.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 12:01 a.m. on March 25, 2024, 
through 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2024.
    Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before May 20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2024-0198 using Federal Decision Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

[[Page 19732]]

below for instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this test 
deviation, call or email Ms. Jennifer Zercher, Bridge Management 
Specialist, Seventh Coast Guard District; telephone 571-607-5951, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    Lady's Island (Woods Memorial) Bridge across the Atlantic 
Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) (Beaufort River), mile 536.0, at Beaufort, 
SC, is a swing bridge with a 30-foot vertical clearance at mean high 
water in the closed position. The normal operating schedule for the 
bridge is found in 33 CFR 117.911(f).
    The Coast Guard received a request from SCDOT to consider changing 
the operating schedule for the Lady's Island (Woods Memorial) Bridge 
removing the seasonal operating schedule which would align with other 
drawbridges along the AICW in SC. This temporary deviation will test a 
change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine if the 
reasonable needs of navigation are maintained and whether a permanent 
change to the schedule is needed.
    Under this temporary deviation, the Lady's Island (Woods Memorial) 
Bridge shall open on signal; except that the draw need not open from 6 
a.m. to 9:29 a.m. and 3:31 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. Between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays, the draw need open only once 
an hour on the half hour. Public vessels of the United States and tugs 
with tows, upon proper signal, will be passed through any time. Vessels 
able to pass without an opening may do so at any time.
    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 document to which 
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation.
    Submitting comments. We encourage you to submit comments through 
the Federal Decision Making Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. To 
do so, go to https://www.regulations.gov, type USCG-2024-0198 in the 
search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for this document in the 
Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on the Comment 
option. If your material cannot be submitted using https://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document for alternate instructions.
    View material in the docket. To view documents mentioned in this 
deviation as being available in the docket, find the docket as 
described in the previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting & 
Related Material'' in the Document Type column. Public comments will 
also be placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following 
instructions on the https://www.regulations.gov Frequently Asked 
Questions web page. Also, 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 of any posting or updates to the docket.
    We review all comments received, but we will only post comments 
that address the topic of this deviation. We may choose not to post 
off-topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive.
    We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal information you have 
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this 
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, 
March 11, 2020).

    Dated: March 14, 2024.
Randall D. Overton,
Director, Bridge Administration, Seventh Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2024-05930 Filed 3-19-24; 8:45 am]
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