Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Trent River, New Bern, NC

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice of deviation from drawbridge regulation.

SUMMARY:

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the U.S. 70 (Alfred C. Cunningham) Bridge across the Trent River, mile 0.0, at New Bern, NC. The deviation is necessary to accommodate the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles during the 2017 Mumfest celebration. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.

DATES:

This deviation is effective from 9 a.m. on October 14, 2017, to 5 p.m. on October 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

The docket for this deviation, [USCG-2017-0498], is available at http://www.regulations.gov. Type the docket number in the “SEARCH” box and click “SEARCH”. Click on Open Docket Folder on the line associated with this deviation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

If you have questions on this temporary deviation, call or email Mr. Mickey Sanders, Bridge Administration Branch Fifth District, Coast Guard; telephone (757) 398-6587, email Mickey.D.Sanders2@uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Event Director, Swiss Bear Inc., with approval from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, who owns and operates the U.S. 70 (Alfred C. Cunningham) Bridge, has requested a temporary deviation from the current operating regulations to accommodate the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles during the 2017 Mumfest. The bridge is a double bascule bridge and has a vertical clearance in the closed position of 14 feet above mean high water.

The current operating schedule is set out in 33 CFR 117.843(a). Under this temporary deviation, the bridge will be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position and open every two hours, on the hour, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2017, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 15, 2017. From 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2017, to 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 15, 2017, the drawbridge will open on signal.

The Alfred C. Cunningham Bridge is used by a variety of vessels including recreational vessels, tug and barge traffic, fishing vessels, and small commercial vessels. The Coast Guard has carefully considered the nature and volume of vessel traffic on the waterway in publishing this temporary deviation.

Vessels able to pass through the bridge in the closed position may do so at anytime. The bridge will be able to open for emergencies and there is no immediate alternate route for vessels unable to pass through the bridge in the closed position. 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.