[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 216 (Thursday, November 6, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66001-66002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26525]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2008-0049]


Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(GIWW), Mile 49.8, Near Houma, Lafourche Parish, LA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is withdrawing its notice of proposed 
rulemaking concerning the operation of the SR 316 Blue Bayou Pontoon 
Bridge across the GIWW, mile 49.8, near Houma, Lafourche Parish, 
Louisiana. The notice of proposed rulemaking proposed to allow the 
bridge to stay closed for school buses to pass when carrying children, 
but due to mechanical improvements of the bridge, the requester, 
Lafourche Parish Council, has withdrawn their request.

DATES: The notice of proposed rulemaking is withdrawn on November 6, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: The docket for this withdrawn rulemaking is available for 
inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. 
Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room 212-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also find 
this docket on the Internet at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on the proposed 
rule

[[Page 66002]]

or the withdrawal, call Bart Marcules, Bridge Administration Branch, 
telephone (504) 671-2128. If you have questions on viewing the docket, 
call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 
202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 12, 2008, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
entitled ``Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(GIWW), mile 49.8, near Houma, Lafourche Parish, LA'' in the Federal 
Register (73 FR 13160). The rulemaking concerned a change to the 
regulation governing the operation of the SR 316 Blue Bayou Pontoon 
Bridge across the GIWW, mile 49.8, near Houma, Lafourche Parish, 
Louisiana. The bridge opens on signal, but due to high vehicular 
traffic and school bus traffic, Lafourche Parish requested a change. 
The proposed rule would have required the draw of the bridge to open on 
signal, except from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., 4 p.m., and from 4:30 p.m. to 
5:30 p.m. during the regular school year on Monday through Friday 
except Federal holidays.

Withdrawal

    Due to mechanical improvements of the bridge and no new complaints 
since the mechanical improvements, the requester, Lafourche Parish 
Council, has withdrawn their request. Also, one comment to the Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking stated that improved mechanical operations of 
the bridge could help this situation. The mechanical improvements have 
made closing the bridge a quicker process, alleviating the extensive 
vehicular backlog created by the opening and closing of the bridge.

    Authority: This action is taken under the authority of 33 U.S.C. 
499; 33 CFR 1.05-1; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 
0170.1.

    Dated: October 23, 2008.
J.R. Whitehead,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. E8-26525 Filed 11-5-08; 8:45 am]
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