U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Eighth Western Rivers Region
Bridge Verifications and Reporting

Last updated: 18 December 1998

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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRAINING PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE 8WR AUXILIARY AID VERIFIERS WITH THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY REPORT BRIDGE DISCREPANCIES

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GENERAL BRIDGE LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS:
  • Bridge Lighting is Required:
    • As prescribed by the Coast Guard District Commander for bridges over navigable waterways
    • From sunset to sunrise
    • In periods of reduced visibility (less than one mile)
    • To be visible for one mile
  • Clearance Gauges:
    • Should be readable for one-half mile
    • Are mainly found on fixed bridges
    • Reading at the water level is the clearance from the water to the minimum low steel elevation of the bridge span. (For moveable bridges, the reading shows the clearance when the bridge is in the closed position.)
  • Anyone Can, AND SHOULD, Report Discrepancies
    • Verifications must be submitted by a Coast Guard certified Aid Verifier
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FIXED BRIDGE LIGHTING:

Typical Fixed Bridge Lighting

REFERRING TO THE GRAPHIC ABOVE:

"A"

The center of the Main Channel and Alternate Channels (if any) are marked using 360 DEGREE GREEN LIGHTS which form a range in the center of the span. These are called:

    "MAIN CHANNEL CENTER LIGHTS" or "ALTERNATE CHANNEL CENTER LIGHTS"

"B"

Bridge piers on the Left Descending (LD) and Right Descending (RD) sides of a navigable channel show 180 DEGREE RED LIGHTS on both the Downstream (D/S) and Upstream (U/S) ends of the pier. This light is called a:

    "PIER LIGHT"

"C"

Where the navigable channel (Main Channel or Alternate Channel) is located between bridge piers but does not extend all the way to a bridge pier, then the extent of the channel is marked by 180 DEGREE RED LIGHTS located on the bridge span on both the Downstream (D/S) and Upstream (U/S) sides of the span. This light is called a:

    "CHANNEL MARGIN LIGHT"

"D"

If there is an Alternate Channel, then the Main Channel is marked by three vertical 180 DEGREE WHITE LIGHTS located above the GREEN MAIN CHANNEL CENTER LIGHT. These three white lights are called:

    "MAIN CHANNEL LIGHTS"

MINIMUM FIXED BRIDGE LIGHTING (MAIN CHANNEL ONLY)

(As Viewed From Upstream)

Minimum Lighting for Fixed Bridge with Main Channel Only

MINIMUM FIXED BRIDGE LIGHTING (MAIN AND ALTERNATE CHANNELS):

(As Viewed From Upstream)

Minimum Lighting for Fixed Bridge with Main and Alternate Channels

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LIGHTING FOR VERTICAL LIFT BRIDGES

Overhead View of a Vertical Lift Bridge in Closed Position

REFERRING TO THE GRAPHIC ABOVE SHOWING AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF A VERTICAL LIFT BRIDGE:

"A"

When the bridge is in any position other than fully raised, the center of the lift bridge span is marked by TWO 180 DEGREE RED LIGHTS -- one facing Upstream and the other Downstream. When fully raised, the center of the span shows TWO 360 DEGREE GREEN LIGHTS which form a range in the center of the span. Each of these red and green lights is called a:

    "RED LIFT SPAN LIGHT" or a "GREEN LIFT SPAN LIGHT"

"B"

Each lift bridge pier, or an attached protection pier, is marked by a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT on both the Downstream (D/S) and Upstream (U/S) ends of the pier. This light is called a:

    "LIFT PIER LIGHT" or "PIER LIGHT"

"C"

A third pier light, in addition to the two (U/S and D/S) pier lights described above, may be required if the lift and protection piers are not straight on their channel faces. This light is a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT which is mounted in the middle of the bridge pier in line with the bridge axis. This light is called an:

    "AXIS LIGHT"

MINIMUM LIGHTING FOR VERTICAL LIFT BRIDGES:

(As Viewed From Upstream)

Minimum Lighting for Vertical Lift Bridge

Note: Some lift bridges, especially those in automatic or semiautomatic operation, may show additional lights in both the U/S direction and the D/S direction. These are authorized on a case by case basis. In some cases, the Coast Guard Light List and newer Corps of Engineer charts include descriptions and usage of special bridge lighting.

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PIER LIGHTING FOR SWING SPAN BRIDGES

  • Bridge piers at either end of the moveable bridge span are called DRAW PIERS. Each draw pier, or an attached protection pier, is marked by a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT on both the Downstream (D/S) and Upstream (U/S) ends of the pier. This light is called a:

      "DRAW PIER LIGHT" or "PIER LIGHT"

  • The bridge pier in the center on which the moveable bridge span sits is called the PIVOT PIER. The pivot pier, or an attached protection pier, is marked by a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT on both the D/S and U/S ends of the pier. This light is called a:

      "PIVOT PIER LIGHT"

  • A third pier light, in addition to the two (U/S and D/S) DRAW or PIVOT pier lights described above, may be required if the DRAW or PIVOT piers and the attached protection piers are not straight on their channel faces. This light is a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT mounted in the middle of the applicable DRAW or PIVOT pier in line with the bridge axis. This light is called an:

      "AXIS LIGHT"

SPAN LIGHTING FOR SWING SPAN BRIDGES

  • Three light fixtures, each consisting of two red lamps and two green lamps (see diagram below showing the span in a closed position), are located atop the bridge span at either end and at the center point. Each lamp in a fixture is located at 90 degrees from its adjacent lamp and shows through and arc of 60 degrees. When only the green lamps are showing directly upstream and downstream from these fixtures, then the bridge would be in the fully open position. This light fixture is called a:

      "SWING SPAN LIGHT"

Overhead View of Double-Opening Swing Bridge in Closed Position

MINIMUM LIGHTING FOR SWING SPAN BRIDGES

(As Viewed From Upstream)

Minimum Lighting for Double-Opening Swing Bridge

Note: In order to properly identify any green swing span light discrepancies on a closed bridge (or any red swing span light discrepancies on an open bridge), it would be necessary to visually determine which direction the bridge opens (or closes). However, never request a bridge to open (or close) if only to verify bridge lighting.

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LIGHTING FOR DOUBLE-LEAF BASCULE BRIDGES

  • Each bascule bridge pier is marked by a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT on both the Downstream (D/S) and Upstream (U/S) ends of the pier. This light is called a:

      "DRAW PIER LIGHT" or "PIER LIGHT"

  • When the bridge is in any position other than fully raised, the center of the bridge span is marked by TWO 180 DEGREE RED LIGHTS (one on the center-most end of each leaf span) on both the Upstream side and on the Downstream side. When fully raised, these lights show 180 DEGREE GREEN LIGHTS. Each of these lights is called a:

      "RED LEAF SPAN LIGHT" or a "GREEN LEAF SPAN LIGHT"

  • A third pier light, in addition to the two (U/S and D/S) draw pier lights, may be required if the draw piers and attached protection piers are not straight on their channel faces. This light is a 180 DEGREE RED LIGHT mounted in the middle of the draw pier in line with the bridge axis. This light is called an:

      "AXIS LIGHT"

MINIMUM LIGHTING FOR DOUBLE-LEAF BASCULE BRIDGES

(As Viewed From Upstream)

Minimum Lighting for Double-Lift Bascule Bridge

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BRIDGE LATITUDE / LONGITUDE (LAT/LONG) POSITION DATA USING GPS

  • For facilities that have a GPS /DGPS capability, Aid Verifiers are asked to:
    • Verify LAT/LONG position data that is shown on the Bridge Report Worksheet, or
    • Provide LAT/LONG position data if not shown on the worksheet.

  • A bridge location is defined by the extent of the Main Channel which may be marked by either a Main Channel Pier Light or a Main Channel Margin Light. The Bridge Report Worksheet asks for the LAT/LONG coordinates for both:
    • Left Descending Main Channel Pier (or Channel Margin), and
    • Right Descending Main Channel Pier (or Channel Margin)

  • LAT/LONG data can be specified two ways:
    • In degrees, minutes, and thousandths of minutes, or
    • In degrees, minutes, seconds and hundredths of seconds (which is the way the data is shown on the Bridge Report Worksheets).

  • Always use decimal points when recording the data. Dashes or spaces may be used to separate degrees, minutes and seconds. The following would be valid entries for the same position:

      45-81.520

      45 81.520

      45-81-31.20

      45 81 31.20
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SUMMARY NOTES -- REPORTING BRIDGE DISCREPANCIES
  1. For each discrepant light, report the:
    • "As Viewed From" direction -- "U/S" (upstream) or "D/S" (downstream)
    • Position relative to the channel -- "Center", "LD" (left descending), or "RD" (right descending)
    • Lens color -- "Red", "Green", or "White"
    • If Alternate Channel -- "Main Channel" or "Alternate Channel"
    • Type / location -- "Pier Light", "Pivot Pier Light", "Span Light", "Axis Light", "Channel Center Light", or "Channel Margin Light"
    • Discrepancy -- "Extinguished", "Dim", "Out of Focus"

      Examples:

        U/S LD RED MAIN CHANNEL PIER LIGHT
        D/S RED PIVOT PIER LIGHT
        U/S GREEN ALTERNATE CHANNEL CENTER LIGHT

  2. For extinguished lights, also indicate:
    • If the light fixture is visible
    • If there is a red reflective square or diamond in proximity to where you would expect to find a light.
  3. Report any damage to bridge protection fenders and cells:
    • Identifying the location as you would a light
  4. Report the readability of clearance gauges:
      "READABLE"
      "NOT READABLE" (Specify pier location -- D/S or U/S, LD or RD)
      "NO GAUGES"

Per Coast Guard District 8 policy, all extinguished bridge lights, and any other discrepancy that would be considered a hazard to navigation, should be reported immediately to the appropriate Group (Upper or Lower) via VHF marine radio.

 

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A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Roger Wiebusch, Bridge Administrator, Western Rivers Operations in Saint Louis, for his contributions and thorough reviews as this piece was being developed.

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