[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2648-2650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-900]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2009-0001]


Emergency Temporary Closure of I-395 & I-66 in the Commonwealth 
of Virginia

AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Announcement for the Virginia Department of Transportation to 
temporarily close I-395 & I-66 on January 20, 2009, for safety and 
security purposes for the Inauguration of the President of the United 
States.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 658.11 of title 23, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has 
requested approval of a plan to temporarily close segments of the 
Interstate to all traffic except buses and authorized vehicles--I-395 
(between the Capital Beltway and the District of Columbia (DC) line) 
and I-66 (between the Capital Beltway and the DC line)--on January 20, 
2009, beginning at 12 a.m., for one consecutive 24-hour period because 
of the Presidential Inauguration. The

[[Page 2649]]

request has been made for the purposes of safety and security in and 
around the District of Columbia and as a complementary piece of the DC 
DOT traffic management plan.
    The Interstate routes included in the request are part of the 
National Network of highways that can safely and efficiently 
accommodate the large vehicles authorized by provisions of the Surface 
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA), as amended, designated in 
accordance with 23 CFR Part 658 and listed in Appendix A. This 
regulation limits the authority of the States to restrict the access of 
these commercial motor vehicles to the designated National Routes, and 
requires the approval of the FHWA for additions, deletions, exceptions 
and restrictions in accordance with 23 CFR 658.11.
    The FHWA has decided to approve the request by the VDOT as an 
emergency deletion in accordance with section 658.11(e) due to the 
safety considerations discussed in this notice. The FHWA is requesting 
comments from the general public on this determination.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 16, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The letter of request along with justifications can be 
viewed electronically at the docket established for this rulemaking at 
http://www.regulations.gov. Hard copies of the documents will also be 
available for viewing at the DOT address listed below.
    Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or submit comments 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, or fax comments to (202) 
493-2251. Alternatively, comments may be submitted via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov (follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments). All comments should include the 
docket number that appears in the heading of this document. All 
comments received will be available for examination and copying at the 
above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of 
comments must include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or you may 
print the acknowledgment page that appears after submitting comments 
electronically. All comments received into any docket may be searched 
in electronic format by the name of the individual submitting the 
comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). Persons making comments may 
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, Pages 19477-78), or 
you may view the statement at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael P. Onder, Team Leader 
Truck Size and Weight and Freight Operations and Technology Team, (202) 
366-2639, Raymond W. Cuprill, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-
0791, Federal Highway Administration; 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, and Mr. Roberto Fonseca-Martinez, FHWA Division 
Administrator-Virginia, (804) 775-3333. Office hours for the FHWA are 
from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may submit or retrieve comments online through the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The Web site is 
available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Electronic submission 
and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the help section 
of the Web site.
    An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from 
Office of the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Printing Office's Web page at: 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov.

Background

    On January 20, 2009, as a result of the presidential inauguration 
activities, the number of participants and spectators on their way to 
the District of Columbia is expected to reach 2-4 million, overwhelming 
both the roadway and transit networks in the northern Virginia region 
and creating a safety hazard for commercial traffic to traverse these 
routes during that time. Additionally, preliminary data indicates that 
approximately 10,000 or more motor coaches within a 1,000 mile radius 
of DC are expected to travel to the District and about half of these 
are expected to come from Virginia. FHWA has already approved of DC's 
plan to close the I-395 and I-66 bridges into DC on Inauguration Day to 
all but buses and authorized vehicles.
    The VDOT has submitted a request to FHWA for approval of a plan to 
temporarily close segments of the Interstate to all traffic except 
buses and authorized vehicles--I-395 (between the Capital Beltway and 
the District of Columbia (DC) line) and I-66 (between the Capital 
Beltway and the DC line)--on January 20, 2009, for one consecutive 24-
hour period because of the Presidential Inauguration. Temporary closure 
of these segments to general purpose traffic means that the motor 
coaches can be moved in and out with maximum safety while providing the 
possibility of expedited departures in the event of an emergency. 
Temporary closure of these segments of Interstate to general purpose 
traffic also facilitates the movement of emergency vehicles into and 
out of the area, thereby enhancing safety.
    The FHWA is responsible for enforcing the Federal regulations 
applicable to the National Network of highways that can safely and 
efficiently accommodate the large vehicles authorized by provisions of 
the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA), as amended, 
designated in accordance with 23 CFR Part 658 and listed in Appendix A. 
In accordance section 658.11 (Additions, deletions, exceptions, and 
restrictions), the FHWA may approve deletions or restrictions of the 
Interstate system or other National Network route based upon specified 
justification criteria in section 658.11(d)(2). The FHWA is also 
authorized to delete any route from the National Network on an 
emergency basis based on safety considerations pursuant to section 
658.11(e). These emergency deletions are published in the Federal 
Register for notice and comment.
    The FHWA has decided to approve the VDOT request as a deletion from 
the National Network on an emergency basis for safety considerations in 
accordance with 23 CFR 658.11(e). As a result, I-395 (between the 
Capital Beltway and the District of Columbia line) is deleted from the 
National Network on January 20, 2009, beginning at 12 a.m., for one 
consecutive 24-hour period. This approval is consistent with the FHWA's 
decision to grant a similar approval to a request from the DC DOT and 
published in the Federal Register on January 7, 2009 (74 FR 760). The 
expected large increase in traffic on these routes due to the 
presidential inauguration activities is expected to create a safety 
hazard for commercial traffic traversing these routes on that day.
    Virginia's request to temporarily close I-66 eastbound and I-395 
northbound between the Beltway and the DC line is in accord with the DC 
plan to manage traffic. As there are insufficient parking and junction 
points at either I-395 or I-66 at the DC line, restrictions must be in 
place prior to this junction. By restricting these corridors inside the

[[Page 2650]]

Beltway, passengers can transfer from personal vehicles to buses at 
pre-determined locations along the I-95 corridor and along the I-66 
corridor outside the capital beltway and congestion inside the beltway 
will be minimized. Should a weather event, incident, or the need to 
evacuate arise, management of the situation will be easier with only 
buses on these facilities.
    The temporary closure should have no impact on Interstate commerce. 
I-95, which is the main north-south Interstate route in the region, is 
signed around the Washington Beltway (I-495) so that Interstate traffic 
need not enter the District at all. Commercial vehicles can also use 
Route 301 to circumvent Washington when traveling between Virginia and 
Maryland.
    Commercial motor vehicles, of the dimensions and configurations 
described in 23 CFR 658.13 and 658.15, serving the area can utilize the 
routes listed above in response to 23 CFR 658.11(d)(2)(ii). Vehicles 
serving the District of Columbia will be unable to do so because the 
local and National Highway System (NHS) street network will also be 
closed during the inauguration. Therefore, the closure of the I-395 and 
I-66 segments of the Interstate will have no material effect on such 
traffic. Entities requiring deliveries within and adjacent to the area 
of closed local and NHS streets will be encouraged to receive 
deliveries before or after January 20th.
    To assist in facilitating interstate commerce the VDOT has already 
begun an extensive coordination effort with the District of Columbia, 
the State of Maryland and local jurisdictions such as the counties of 
Fairfax and Arlington to minimize traffic disruptions. Requests have 
been made for adjacent jurisdictions to cooperate in routing traffic 
around the closure and warn interstate traffic of the closure by signs, 
and other means to get the message out to the trucking industry and the 
rest of the traveling public.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 127, 315 and 49 U.S.C. 31111, 31112, and 
31114; 23 CFR Part 658.

    Issued on: January 12, 2009.
Thomas J. Madison, Jr.,
Federal Highway Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E9-900 Filed 1-13-09; 4:15 pm]
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