New Ballard Railroad Bridge

Coast Guard receives application for replacement BNSF Railroad Bridge across Salmon Bay, seeks public comment

SEATTLE — Coast Guard officials are seeking comment from mariners and maritime stakeholders while reviewing an application from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company requesting approval of the location and plans to build a movable railroad bridge to be constructed across Salmon Bay 0.3 miles west of the Ballard Locks in Seattle.

The comments are needed to establish horizontal and vertical navigation requirements for the new bridge, proposed to replace the current bascule bridge, which has unlimited vertical clearance, with a vertical-lift bridge, which has a finite vertical clearance, to be determined by process of evaluation.

Mariners and maritime stakeholders need to consider current and future prospective vessel navigation clearance requirements. Comments are needed to determine vessel’s vertical air-gap requirements, which is the height of the vessel from waterline to the top of all structural and non-lowerable vessel appurtenances that are essential to navigation.

Based on the information gathered the Coast Guard will prescribe the proposed new bridge horizontal and vertical navigation clearances to ensure the bridge will meet the reasonable needs of existing and prospective future navigation on the waterway. 

Parties wishing to make comments or seek further information concerning the proposed project are encouraged to include: the company name; vessel contact information; vessel name; vessel type; length; draft; tonnage; width; and vertical in-air height.

Your comments are requested in writing no later than Oct. 31, 2018. Comments should be addressed to: Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District or by email at d13-pf-d13bridges@uscg.mil or by calling the bridge administrator’s office at (206) 220-7282 or 7234.

Board Officers – and for pass-along to full Board:

I wanted to flag a couple public comment opportunities for recreational boaters and a free grants workshop coming up on Dec. 4 (see attached) – with the most time-sensitive being the Ballard Bridge replacement being designed by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad – see below for initial “horizontal and vertical navigational clearance” comment opportunity by 10/31 -- there will be more opportunities when full design is incorporated and permits have been requested.

1. BNSF Plans to replace Ballard Bridge along the Locks at Salmon Bay:  See below.  Several of us – including RBAW President Wayne Gilham, myself, and Peter Schrappen of NMTA – met with BNSF officials on Oct. 9 regarding their early designs of a bridge to replace the current one at Salmon Bay.  Importantly for recreational boaters, the current bridge has unlimited navigational clearance and offers a really useful tie-up point for boaters.  We learned that the new bridge design has a clearance for up to 155 feet – not an issue for recreationals though NMTA has gotten word on some vessels that could be impacted and had further conversation with BNSF.  For those of you who do wish to comment on this initial design and “horizontal and vertical clearance” issues, we did learn that BNSF will retain a tie-up area closest to shore (a mid-water facility will be removed) and it will in fact be made of a newer composite material that may make it even more convenient for boaters to tie up if/as needed.  Comments for those who wish to do so can be directed to the Coast Guard by Wednesday, 10/31 – and you may wish to comment somewhat along the following lines,

 RBAW Reply

*We appreciate the early efforts by BNSF to reach out to the recreational boating community

*We also appreciate that BNSF plans to maintain a by-the-shore structure, with upgraded composite materials, that offers a tie-up point for boaters

*We understand there may be some vessels impacted by the planned 155-foot clearance limit and want to learn more about that issue and potential impacts.