[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13128-13129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4943]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[USCG-2008-0048]


Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(GIWW), mile 49.8, near Houma, Lafourche Parish, 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 316 Blue Bayou Pontoon Bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, 
mile 49.8, near Houma, Lafourche Parish, LA. This deviation will test a 
change to the drawbridge operation schedule to determine whether a 
permanent change to the schedule is needed. This deviation will allow 
the draw of the bridge to open on signal except during the regular 
school year on Monday through Friday except Federal holidays from 7 
a.m. to 8:30 a.m., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 
p.m.

DATES: This deviation is effective from March 27, 2008, until April 28, 
2008. Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before May 12, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket 
number USCG-2008-0048 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 Bart Marcules, 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

[[Page 13129]]

rulemaking USCG-2008-0048, 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 8\1/2\ 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-2008-0048 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

    The Lafourche Parish Council has requested that a regulation be 
placed on the SR 316 Blue Bayou Pontoon Bridge across the Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), at mile 49.8, near Houma, LA. This bridge 
currently opens on signal as required by 33 CFR 117.5. Due to a high 
volume of vehicular traffic on SR 316, and the length of time to open 
and close the SR 316 Blue Bayou Pontoon Bridge, a bridge opening can 
cause a substantial delay in transit time for school buses having to 
cross the bridge. To minimize the transit time of school children, 
Lafourche Parish requested closure periods around the scheduled school 
bus route times to allow the buses to cross the bridge without delay 
caused by a bridge opening. Currently, based on twelve months of bridge 
logs and a two week vehicular traffic count during the school year the 
7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. period has an average of 87 cars to 3.4 vessels, 
the 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. period has an average of 112 cars to 6.3 vessels, 
and the 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. period has an average of 140 cars to 3.2 
vessels. Thus, a substantial delay can occur to the school buses that 
have to cross this bridge during their routes.
    The users of the waterway consist mostly of towboats and barges, 
fishing vessels, and some recreational vessels. All waterway users 
transiting through this area require the bridge to open since the 
bridge is a pontoon bridge with no vertical clearance in the closed to 
navigation position and there is no feasible alternate route. 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 March 27, 2008 until April 28, 
2008. During the deviation period, the draw shall open on signal; 
except that, the draw need not be opened from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., from 
2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday except Federal holidays.
    A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, USCG-2008-0049, is being issued in 
conjunction with this Temporary Deviation to obtain public comments. 
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be open for public comment for 
two months from March 12, 2008 until May 12, 2008. The Coast Guard will 
evaluate public comments from this Temporary Deviation and the above 
referenced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to determine if a permanent 
special drawbridge operating regulation 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: February 21, 2008.
David M. Frank,
Bridge Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-4943 Filed 3-11-08; 8:45 am]
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