Editorial Note on Part 117
Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 117 appear by USCG-1998-3799, 63 FR 35529, June 30, 1998.

§ 117.393 Illinois Waterway. ( a ) The draw of the automated Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad bridge, mile 88.8 at Beardstown, Illinois, operates as follows: ( 1 ) The draw is normally maintained in the fully open position, displaying a green light to indicate that vessels may pass.
( 2 ) When a vessel is approaching and the draw is in the open position, contact shall be established by radiotelephone with the remote operator to assure that the draw remains open until passage is complete.
( 3 ) When a vessel is approaching and the draw is in the closed position, contact shall be established by radiotelephone with the remote operator. If the draw cannot be opened immediately, alternate flashing red lights are displayed. If the draw can be opened immediately, flashing amber lights are displayed.
( 4 ) When a train approaches the bridge and the draw is in the open position, the operator shall activate alternate flashing red lights on top of the draw, sound four short blasts, and scan the river on radar to determine whether any vessel is approaching the bridge. The remote operator shall also broadcast that the draw is closing. If a vessel or vessels are approaching the bridge within one mile, as determined by radar scanning, response to radio broadcast, or electronic detector, the flashing red lights shall be changed to flashing amber and the operator shall keep the draw in the fully open position until the vessel or vessels have cleared the bridge. If no vessel is approaching the bridge or is beneath the draw, the draw may be lowered and locked in place.
( 5 ) After the train has cleared the bridge, the draw shall be raised to its full height and locked in place, the red flashing lights stopped, and the draw lights changed from red to green.
( b ) The draw of the Chessie Railroad Bridge, mile 254.1, at Seneca, Illinois, operates as follows: ( 1 ) The draw is normally maintained in the fully open position, displaying green mid-channel lights to indicate the span is fully open.
( 2 ) When a train approaches the bridge and the draw is in the open position, the train will stop, train operator shall walk out on the bridge and scan the river for approaching vessels.
( 3 ) If a vessel is approaching the bridge, the draw will remain open. The vessel shall contact the train operator on VHF-FM channel 16 and the train operator shall keep the draw in the fully open position until the vessel has cleared the bridge.
( 4 ) If no vessels are observed, the train operator initiates a five minute warning period on VHF-FM radio channel 16 before closing the bridge. The train operator will broadcast the following message: “The Chessie Railroad Bridge at Mile 254.1, Illinois River, will close to navigation in five minutes.” The announcement is repeated every minute counting down the time remaining until closure.
( 5 ) At the end of the five minute warning period, and if no vessels are approaching the bridge, the train operator shall sound the siren for 10 seconds, activate the alternate flashing red lights on top of the draw, then lower and lock the draw in place. Red lights shall continue to flash to indicate the draw is closed to navigation.
( 6 ) After the train has cleared the bridge, the draw shall be raised to its full height and locked in place, the red flashing lights stopped, and the draw lights changed from red to green.
( c ) The draws of the McDonough Street Bridge, mile 287.3; Jefferson Street bridge, mile 287.9; Cass Street bridge, mile 288.1; Jackson Street bridge, mile 288.4; and Ruby Street bridge, mile 288.7; all of Joliet, shall open on signal, except that they need not open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
( d ) The drawspan of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway bridge, mile 290.1 at Lockport, Illinois, is operated by remote operator located at the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern offices in Homewood, Illinois as follows: ( 1 ) The drawspan is normally maintained in the fully open to navigation position displaying green center span navigation lights to indicate that the drawspan is fully open.
( 2 ) The bridge is equipped with the following: ( i ) A radiotelephone link direct to the remote operator;
( ii ) A radar antenna on top of the drawspan capable of scanning the river, one mile upstream and one mile downstream;
( iii ) Infrared boat detectors under the drawspan, to allow the remote bridge operator to detect vessels under the drawspan;
( iv ) Electronic motion detectors under the drawspan to allow the remote bridge operator to detect vessel movement under the drawspan;
( v ) A siren for sound signals; and
( vi ) Red and green center span navigation lights.
( 3 ) The remote bridge operator shall maintain a 24 hour VHF marine radio watch for mariners to establish contact as they approach the bridge to ensure that the drawspan is open or that it remains open until passage of river traffic is complete.
( 4 ) When rail traffic approaches the bridge, and the drawspan is in the open position, the remote bridge operator initiates a one minute warning period before closing the drawspan. During this warning period, the remote operator shall broadcast at least twice, via marine radio, that: “The drawspan of the EJ&E Railroad bridge will be lowered in one minute.” A siren on the bridge sounds for 20 seconds, to warn anyone on or under the bridge that the drawspan will be lowered.
( 5 ) If a vessel is approaching the bridge upbound or, departing the Lockport Lock and Dam at mile 291.1, downbound, with intentions of passing through the drawspan, they shall respond to the remote bridge operators' marine radio broadcast, or initiate radio contact, indicating their proximity to the bridge and requesting an opening of the drawspan or that the drawspan remain open until the vessel passes. If any approaching vessel is detected or if a radiotelephone response is received, the remote operator shall not close the drawspan until the vessel or vessels have cleared the bridge.
( 6 ) At the end of the one minute warning period, if no river traffic is approaching or under the drawspan, the remote bridge operator may begin lowering the drawspan. Navigation lights located at the center of the drawspan change from green to red when the drawspan is not in the fully open to navigation position. The drawspan takes approximately 90 seconds to lower.
( 7 ) If the presence of a vessel or other obstruction is discovered approaching or under the drawspan, during the lowering sequence, before the drawspan is fully lowered and locked, the drawspan shall be stopped and raised to the fully open position. When the vessel or obstruction has cleared the drawspan, the remote operator shall confirm that the channel is clear and reinitiate the one minute warning cycle before lowering the drawspan.
( 8 ) If no marine traffic is present the drawspan may be lowered and seated. When the drawspan is lowered and locked in the closed to navigation position, the remote bridge operator periodically broadcasts, via marine radio, that: “The drawspan of the EJ&E Railroad bridge is closed to navigation.”
( 9 ) Failure of the radar system, radio telephone system, infrared boat detectors or electronic motion sensors shall prevent lowering the drawspan from the remote location.
( 10 ) when rail traffic has cleared the bridge, the remote bridge operator shall raise the drawspan to the fully open to navigation position. When the drawspan is raised and in the fully open to navigation position, the remote bridge operator broadcasts, at least twice, via marine radio, that: “The drawspan of the EJ&E Railroad bridge is open to navigation.” The center drawspan navigation lights change from red to green when the drawspan is fully open to navigation.
[CGD 82-025, 49 FR 17452, Apr. 24, 1984, as amended by CGD02 93-036, 59 FR 33677, June 30, 1994; USCG-1998-3799, 63 FR 35527, June 30, 1998; USCG-1999-5832, 64 FR 34712, June 29, 1999; CGD08-99-014, 64 FR 61520, Nov. 12, 1999; CGD08-06-013, 72 FR 19668, Apr. 19, 2007; USCG-2013-0397, 78 FR 39174, July 1, 2013]