2012-17945. Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Willamette River, Portland, OR

AGENCY:

Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice of temporary deviation from regulations.

SUMMARY:

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs four Multnomah County bridges: The Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, the Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4, the Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8, and the Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, all crossing the Willamette River at Portland, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the annual Portland Providence Bridge Pedal event. This deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed position to allow safe movement of event participants.

DATES:

This deviation is effective from 5 a.m. August 12, 2012 through 12:30 p.m. August 12, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket are part of docket USCG-2012-0666 and are available online by going to http://www.regulations.gov,, inserting USCG-2012-0666 in the “Keyword” box and then clicking “Search.” They are also available for inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

If you have questions on this rule, call or email the Bridge Administrator, Coast Guard Thirteenth District; telephone [phone] email [e-mail]. If you have questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Multnomah County, has requested a temporary deviation from the operating schedule for the Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, the Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4, the Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8, and the Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, all crossing the Willamette River at Portland, OR. The requested deviation is to accommodate the annual Providence Bridge Pedal event. To facilitate this event, the draws of the bridges will be maintained in the closed-to-navigation positions as follows: the Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7; the Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4; Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8; and the Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, need not open for vessel traffic from 5 a.m. August 12, 2012 until 12:30 a.m. August 12, 2012. Vessels which do not require bridge openings may continue to transit beneath these bridges during the closure period. The Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, provides a vertical clearance of 90 feet in the closed position, the Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4, provides a vertical clearance of 64 feet in the closed position, the Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8, provides a vertical clearance of 69 feet in the closed position, and the Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, provides a vertical clearance of 49 feet in the closed position; all clearances are referenced to the vertical clearance above Columbia River Datum 0.0. The current operating schedule for all four bridges is set out in 33 CFR 117.897. The normal operating schedule for all four bridges state that they need not open from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This deviation period is from 5 a.m. on August 12, 2012 through 12:30 p.m. August 12, 2012. The deviation allows the Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, the Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4, the Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8, and the Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, across the Willamette River, to remain in the closed position and need not open for maritime traffic from 5 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. on August 12, 2012. The four bridges shall operate in accordance to 33 CFR 117.897 at all other times. Waterway usage on this stretch of the Willamette River includes vessels ranging from commercial tug and barge to small pleasure craft. Mariners will be notified and kept informed of the bridges' operational status via the Coast Guard Notice to Mariners publication and Broadcast Notice to Mariners as appropriate. The bridges will be required to open, if needed, for vessels engaged in emergency response operations during this closure period.

In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridges must return to their regular operating schedules immediately at the end of the designated time period. This deviation from the operating regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

Dated: July 13, 2012.

Randall D. Overton,

Bridge Administrator.