[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42037-42038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19957]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2008-1158]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(Algiers Alternate Route), Belle Chasse, 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 23 bridge across the Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway (Algiers Alternate Route), mile 3.8, at Belle 
Chasse, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The notice of proposed 
rulemaking proposed to allow the bridge to remain closed-to-navigation 
for an additional 90 minutes during weekday afternoons to facilitate 
the movement of vehicular traffic.

DATES: The notice of proposed rulemaking published at 73 FR 13161, 
March 26, 2009, is withdrawn on August 20, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The docket for this withdrawn rulemaking is available for 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 W12-140, 
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 by going to http://www.regulations.gov, 
inserting USCG-2008-1158 in the ``Keyword'' box and then clicking 
``Search.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have any questions about this 
notice, call or e-mail David Frank, Bridge Administration Branch, 
telephone (504) 671-2128, e-mail [email protected]. If you have 
questions on viewing material in the docket, call Renee V. Wright, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 26, 2009, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
entitled ``Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 
(Algiers Alternate Route), Belle Chasse, LA'' in the Federal Register 
(74 FR 13161). The rulemaking concerned a change to the regulation 
governing the operation of the SR 23 bridge across the Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway (Algiers Alternate Route), mile 3.8, at Belle 
Chasse, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Presently, the draw of the 
bridge need not open for the passage of vessels in the afternoon from 
3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Plaquemines Parish Government requested that 
an additional 90 minutes be added 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.

Withdrawal

    On site analysis of the traffic patterns around the bridge and 
proposed modernization of the traffic lights on SR 23 which will 
improve the traffic flow indicate that the change is not warranted at 
this time. It was also determined that due to the increased time that 
the bridge was not required to open, longer delays at the end of the 
closure period were experienced by vehicular traffic. Additionally, 
road construction on another arterial roadway has caused a spike in 
traffic that should adjust following completion of the roadwork. 
Following all repairs to the bridge, modernization of the traffic 
management scheme, and the roadway repairs, if the Plaquemines Parish 
Government wishes to reapply for a change in the operating schedule, 
the Coast Guard will conduct a new investigation to determine if 
changes to the operating schedule are warranted.

    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.


[[Page 42038]]


    Dated: August 4, 2009.
Mary E. Landry,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. E9-19957 Filed 8-19-09; 8:45 am]
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