Safety Zone; Brandon Road Lock and Dam to Lake Michigan Including Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago River, and Calumet-Saganashkee Channel, Chicago, IL
The Coast Guard is enforcing a temporary moving safety zone on a stretch of the Chicago River to allow a bridge leaf to be floated down for repairs. No boats allowed without authorization.
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The Coast Guard is enforcing a temporary moving safety zone on a stretch of the Chicago River to allow a bridge leaf to be floated down for repairs. No boats allowed without authorization.
Why it matters
The U.S. Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone on the South Branch of the Chicago River, between the Lake Street Bridge and South Damen Avenue, to facilitate a bridge repair operation by the Chicago Department of Transportation. During the enforcement period, vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting, mooring, or anchoring within the zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative. This is a routine safety measure to protect both workers and mariners during the movement of the bridge leaf on the water.
Who it affects
- Homeland Security Department
- Coast Guard
What happens next
Current
Signed
Published Oct 13, 2026.
Next
Takes effect
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- ProposedPublished Oct 13, 2026
- SignedStatus: Signed · Published Oct 13, 2026
- In effectNo effective date on record yet.
- ChallengedNo challenge record stored beyond status. See the Federal Register source for litigation history.
- ClosedNo closed-state date on record yet.
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Deeper context
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Read analysisAnalysis · Official text · Sage perspective
DEEPER READ
This regulatory rule establishes a moving safety zone on a specific segment of the South Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois, covering mile markers 321 to 325.5. The zone is being created to protect the public and workers during the floating of a bridge leaf, which is a large structural component of a drawbridge, as part of a repair project managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. The floating of such a component poses navigational hazards to nearby vessels, making a controlled exclusion zone a standard operational safety measure. The legal authority for this action comes from the Coast Guard's established powers to create safety zones in navigable waterways, typically under Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. The Captain of the Port Lake Michigan holds discretionary authority to grant exceptions to the prohibition for vessels that demonstrate a legitimate need to enter the zone. An on-scene representative may also authorize entry in real time. The primary parties affected are commercial and recreational boaters using this stretch of the Chicago River during the enforcement period. The zone is described as a moving safety zone, meaning it travels with the bridge leaf as it is floated along the river, rather than being fixed at a static location. This limits the duration and geographic scope of disruption to mariners at any given moment. Because this action is temporary and narrowly scoped to a specific infrastructure maintenance activity, its broader impact on commerce and navigation is expected to be minimal. Vessels needing passage will have the option to seek authorization from the Coast Guard, allowing some operational flexibility. Mariners and port operators in the Chicago area should monitor local notices to mariners for specific enforcement dates and times.
AS PUBLISHED
The Coast Guard will enforce a moving safety zone on the South Branch of the Chicago River between the Lake Street Bridge at mile marker 325.5 and South Damen Avenue at mile marker 321 for the floating down of the bridge leaf for the Chicago Department of Transportation Bridge repair. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting, mooring, laying-up, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated on-scene representative.
THE SAGE'S PERSPECTIVE
AI analysis
This is a routine, temporary Coast Guard safety zone tied to a local bridge repair project in Chicago. It affects a narrow segment of the Chicago River for a limited time and has no significant policy, national security, or economic implications beyond local mariners. Boaters in the affected area should contact the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan for authorization if they need to transit the zone.
Source: official record
Sources
- Federal Register entryPrimary record
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