§ 117.829 - Northeast Cape Fear River.

§ 117.829 Northeast Cape Fear River.

(a) The draw of the Isabel S. Holmes Bridge, at mile 1.0, at Wilmington, North Carolina will operate as follows:

(1) The draw will be closed to pleasure craft from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the draw will open for all waiting vessels.

(2) The draw will open on signal for Government and commercial vessels at all times.

(3) The draw will open for all vessels on signal from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

(4) From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the second Saturday of July of every year, from 12 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the last Saturday of October or the first or second Saturday of November of every year, and from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the first or second Sunday of November of every year, the draw need not open for vessels to accommodate annual races.

(

5) From 7 p.m. on February 1, 2020, through 12:01 a.m. on June 30, 2021, the draw will be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position. The draw will open on signal, if at least a twenty-four hour notice is given, for scheduled openings at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; except for bridge closures authorized in accordance with (a)(4) of this section. The draw will open on signal, if at least a twenty-four hour notice is given, for vessels unable to transit through the bridge during a scheduled opening, due to the vessel's draft; except for bridge closures authorized in accordance with (a)(4) of this section.

(b) The CSX Hilton Railroad Bridge, mile 1.5 in Wilmington, NC shall operate as follows:

(1) The draw of the bridge to be remotely operated by the controller at the Navassa Railroad Bridge mile 34.0 across the Cape Fear River.

(2) The draw shall be left in the open position to vessels and will only be closed for the passage of trains and to perform periodic maintenance authorized in accordance with Subpart A of this part.

(3) Trains shall be controlled so that any delay in opening of the draw shall not exceed ten minutes except as provided in 117.31(b).

(4) The CSX Hilton Railroad Bridge shall not be operated by the controller at the CSX Navassa Railroad in the event of failure or obstruction of the motion sensors, laser scanners, video cameras or marine-radio communications. In these situations, a bridge tender must be called to operate the bridge on-site.

(5) When rail traffic has cleared, the horn will automatically sound one prolonged blast followed by one short blast to indicate that the CSX Hilton Railroad Bridge is moving to the full open position to vessels. During open span movement, the channel traffic lights will flash red, until the bridge is in the full open position to vessels. In the full open position to vessels, the bridge channel traffic lights will flash green, allowing vessels to pass safely.

(6) During closing span movement, the channel traffic lights will flash red, the horn will sound five short blasts, and an audio voice-warning device will announce bridge movement. Five short blasts of the horn will continue until the bridge is seated and locked down. When the bridge is seated and in the locked down position to vessels, the channel traffic lights will continue to flash red.

(c) The draw of the Seaboard System Railroad Bridge across the Northeast Cape Fear River, mile 27.0, at Castle Hayne, North Carolina shall open on signal if at least four hours notice is given.

[CGD05-02-014, 67 FR 70554, Nov. 25, 2002, as amended by CGD05-04-120, 69 FR 70061, Dec. 2, 2004; CGD05-05-102, 71 FR 5010, Jan. 31, 2006; USCG-2010-1139, 76 FR 30832, May 27, 2011; USCG-2012-0193, 77 FR 50378, Aug. 21, 2012; USCG-2019-0682, 85 FR 8175, Feb. 13, 2020]

Effective Date Note

Effective Date Note:

By USCG-2019-0682, 85 FR 8175, Feb. 13, 2020, § 117.829 was amended by adding paragraph (a)(5), effective until June 30, 2021.