[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13116-13118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6689]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[USCG-2008-0069]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(Algiers Alternate Route), Belle Chasse, LA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a 
temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the 
SR 23 bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal

[[Page 13117]]

Waterway (Algiers Alternate Route), mile 3.8, at Belle Chasse, 
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. This deviation will test a change to the 
drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a permanent change 
to the schedule is needed. This test deviation will allow the draw to 
open on signal; except that, the draw need not be opened for the 
passage of vessels from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 7 
p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

DATES: This deviation is effective from April 10, 2009 until May 11, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2008-0069 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one 
of the following methods:
    (1) Online: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (3) Hand delivery: Room W12-140 on the Ground Floor of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
telephone number is 202-366-9329.
    (4) Fax: 202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this proposed 
rule, call David Frank, Bridge Administration Branch, telephone (504) 
671-2128. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to 
the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, 
telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting 
comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted, 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket Management 
Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' paragraph below.

Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking USCG-2008-0069, indicate the specific section of this 
document to which each comment applies, and give the reason for each 
comment. We recommend that you include your name and a mailing address, 
an e-mail address, or a phone number in the body of your document so 
that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission. 
You may submit your comments and material by electronic means, mail, 
fax, or delivery to the Docket Management Facility at the address under 
ADDRESSES; but please submit your comments and material by only one 
means. If you submit them by mail or delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 81/2 by 11 inches, suitable for copying 
and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would like to 
know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-
addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period. We may change this 
proposed rule in view of them.

Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as documents mentioned in this preamble 
as being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov at 
any time, click on ``Search for Dockets,'' and enter the docket number 
for this rulemaking USCG-2008-0069 in the Docket ID box, and click 
enter. You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-
140 on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into 
any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment 
(or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review the Department of 
Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.

Background and Purpose

    Plaquemines Parish has requested that a regulation regarding the 
operation of the SR 23 bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(Algiers Alternate Route), mile 3.8, at Belle Chasse, Plaquemines 
Parish, Louisiana to allow for the bridge to remain in the closed-to-
navigation for an additional 90 minutes in the afternoon to facilitate 
the movement of vehicular traffic. Presently, the draw need not open 
for the passage of vessels in the afternoon from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 
p.m. The request from Plaquemines Parish is to add an additional 90 
minutes to the closure in the afternoon so that the draw need not open 
for the passage of vessels from 3:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. The Louisiana 
Department of Transportation and Development has reviewed their bridge 
tender logs and have estimated that the change in the schedule affects 
an average of two vessels. It should be noted that the vertical 
clearance of the bridge in the closed-to-navigation position is 40 feet 
above mean high water in the closed-to-navigation position so only 
vessels with vertical clearance requirements of more than 40 feet will 
be affected by the proposed change.
    This bridge currently opens on signal; except that, from 6 a.m. to 
8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays, the draw need not be opened for the passage of 
vessels. Plaquemines Parish has requested that the bridge remain closed 
an additional 90 minutes in the afternoon, until 7 p.m. in the evening 
to minimize the delays to traffic caused by the opening of the bridge. 
A recent traffic study indicates that between 1500 and 2000 vehicles 
per hour cross the bridge during weekday afternoons. When the bridge 
opens for the passage of a vessel at 5:30 p.m., traffic may back up for 
more than two miles. As SR 23 is the main highway into and out of 
Plaquemines Parish, the traffic backup severely hampers the ability of 
emergency responders to transit in the area. Plaquemines Parish Office 
of Emergency Management has indicated that the increase in times in the 
afternoon will allow for most of the traffic to clear out of the area. 
They believe that the request will only cause a minor increase in 
delays for vessels wishing to use the area. An alternate route via the 
Harvey Canal is available for vessels with vertical clearances of 
greater than 40 feet if they do not wish to be delayed.
    During this test deviation, a count of the delayed vessels during 
the closure periods will be taken to ensure a future regulation will 
not have a significant impact on navigation. This test deviation has 
been coordinated with the main commercial waterway user group that has 
vessels transiting in this area, and currently there is no expectation 
of any significant impacts on navigation.
    The deviation period will be from April 10, 2009 until May 11, 
2009, and the operating schedule is, the draw shall open on signal; 
except that, the draw need not be opened from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and 
from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.,

[[Page 13118]]

Monday through Friday except Federal holidays.
    A Notice of Proposed Rule Making, USCG-2008-1158, is being issued 
in conjunction with this Temporary Deviation to obtain public comments. 
The Notice of Proposed Rule Making will be in effect for two months 
from March 26, 2009 until May 26, 2009. The Coast Guard will evaluate 
public comments from this Temporary Deviation and the above referenced 
Notice of Proposed Rule Making to determine if a permanent change to 
the drawbridge operating regulation at 33 CFR 117.451(b) is warranted.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
its regular operating schedule immediately at the end of the designated 
time period. This deviation from the operating regulations is 
authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

    Dated: March 9, 2009.
David M. Frank,
Bridge Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E9-6689 Filed 3-25-09; 8:45 am]
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