[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63815-63816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17223]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2024-0628]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, 
Osprey, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notification 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 Blackburn Point Bridge across the 
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW), mile 63.1, at Osprey, FL. The Casey 
Key Association has requested the Coast Guard changing the operating 
schedule allowing the drawbridge scheduled openings. 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 7 a.m. on August 12, 2024, 
through 7 p.m. on January 31, 2025.
    Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before September 20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2024-0628 using Federal Decision Making Portal at https://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. Jennifer Zercher, Bridge Management 
Specialist, Seventh Coast Guard District; telephone 571-607-5951, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    Blackburn Point Bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(GICW), mile 63.1, at Osprey, FL, is a swing bridge with a 9-foot 
vertical clearance at mean high water in the closed position. The 
normal operating schedule for the bridge is set forth in 33 CFR 117.5.
    The Coast Guard received a request from the Casey Key Association 
to consider changing the operating schedule for the Blackburn Point 
Bridge

[[Page 63816]]

by allowing the drawbridge scheduled openings instead of on demand 
openings. This request was made to assist with vehicle congestion 
during the weekday daylight hours. 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 Blackburn Point Bridge shall 
open on signal; except that from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays, the draw need only open on the hour, 
twenty minutes after the hour, and forty minutes after the 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-2024-0628 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: July 31, 2024.
Randall D. Overton,
Director, Bridge Administration, Seventh Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2024-17223 Filed 8-5-24; 8:45 am]
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