News Release U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest

Contact: 13th District Public Affairs

Office: (206) 220-7237

After Hours: (206) 220-7237

13th District online newsroom



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.