Document ID: USCG-2018-0988-0001
Agency: uscg
Document Type: Rule
Title: Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Old Fort Bayou, MS
Posted Date: 2019-02-04T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 23 (Monday, February 4, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1401-1402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00871]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0988]
RIN 1625-AA09

Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Old Fort Bayou, 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 609 (SR 609) bascule 
bridge across the Old Fort Bayou, mile 1.6 at Ocean Springs, Harrison 
County, Mississippi. This deviation is needed to collect and analyze 
information on vehicle traffic congestion on SR 609 created when the 
drawbridge opens to vessel traffic. During this temporary deviation the 
drawbridge will not open to vessel traffic during specified times.

DATES: This deviation is effective from 6 a.m. February 4, 2019 through 
6 p.m. June 4, 2019.
    Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard 
on or before June 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2018-0988 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 
Douglas.A.Blakemore@uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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
U.S.C. United States Code

I. Background, Purpose, and Legal Basis

    The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has requested 
to change the operating requirements for the SR 609 bascule bridge 
across the Old Fort Bayou, mile 1.6, at Ocean Springs, Harrison County, 
Mississippi. This bridge currently operates according to 33 CFR 
117.681. MDOT provided the Coast Guard with a vehicle traffic study 
that concluded that vehicle traffic becomes very congested on SR 609 
during morning, noon and afternoon rush hours and that bridge openings 
for vessels adds to the congestion. 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 regulation change on 
vessels.
    This bridge has a vertical clearance of 26 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 267 times. During this 
temporary deviation the bridge will operate as follows:
    The draw of the SR 609 bascule bridge across the Old Fort Bayou, 
mile 1.6, Ocean Springs, Harrison County, Mississippi shall open on 
signal; except the draw need not open 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., 10:45 a.m. 
to 12:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday except 
Federal holidays. From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the draw shall open on signal 
if at least eight-hours-notice is given. 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 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.

[[Page 1402]]

    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 temporary rule change 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: January 29, 2019.
Douglas Allen Blakemore, Sr.
Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2019-00871 Filed 2-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P