USCG Bridge Program

New Date!

June 23rd, 2026

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) will provide an overview of the Coast Guard Bridge program covering the mission to ensure safe vessel passage under/through bridges over navigable U.S. waters, regulatory authority, and the four core functional areas: permitting regulation, monitoring, and construction.

Note that this presentation will not be recorded.

Specific Topics Include:

• USCG Bridge Program 101
• Navigation Impact Report/ Preliminary Navigation Clearance Determination
• USACE Sections 404 and 408
• USCG Permit Application Walkthrough
• USCG Plan Sheets
• Project timeline development
• Post Permit coordination/completion reports/lighting

Learning Objectives

• Understand the mission, scope, and regulatory authority of the Office of Bridge Program.
• Describe the key steps and requirements involved in applying for a bridge permit.
• Recognize how navigation impacts, clearance determinations, and other vessel related concerns influence bridge design and permit approval.
• Outline the typical project timeline and stakeholder coordination (including other federal agencies, environmental reviews, and public notices) for a bridge project under USCG jurisdiction.
• Identify situations when exemptions might apply (or when liaison with other agencies, such as highway authorities, is required) under the regulatory process.

CE Credit: 5.5 hours

Registration

This event is IN PERSON only.

Location

Follow The Directions For Student Center East:

Student Center East
750 South Halsted Street
Chicago‚ Illinois 60607

Registration

Early Bird Member- $225
Early Bird Nonmember- $325

Receive $50 off both Member and Nonmember ticket prices if you buy in a group of 5 people or more. Email staff@seaoi.org to arrange. 

About the Speakers

Crystal Tucker, CIV USCG COMDT
Bridge Management Specialist, USCG

Crystal Tucker is a seasoned professional with over two decades of dedicated service in the U.S. Coast Guard, from which she retired in September 2020. Following her distinguished military career, she transitioned to the federal service, joining the Coast Guard Bridge Program.

Initially, Crystal served as a Bridge Management Specialist for the Coast Guard East District in Portsmouth, VA. In this role, she honed her skills in regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement, working extensively with state, local, and federal agencies on matters of bridge regulation, inspection, maintenance, and permitting.

In 2023, she transferred to Coast Guard Headquarters, where she continues to apply her project management expertise to update and provide guidance on the bridge program, as well as to review district permit packages. Currently, she is filling in for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) liaison, a position that relies heavily on her skills in interagency coordination to ensure seamless communications and processes for infrastructure projects involving bridges over navigable U.S. waters.