[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3325-3326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1204]



[[Page 3325]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2011-0104]


Emergency Temporary Closure of the I-64 Sherman-Minton Bridge 
Over the Ohio River Between Indiana and Kentucky

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Final Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has approved the 
request from the Indiana Department of Transportation to continue 
temporary closure of the I-64 Sherman-Minton Bridge over the Ohio River 
between Indiana and Kentucky for an indefinite period of time due to 
safety considerations.
    The approval is granted as an emergency deletion in accordance with 
section 658.11(e) due to the safety considerations discussed in this 
notice. The FHWA published a Notice and Request for Comment on October 
27, 2011, at 76 FR 66775, seeking comments on the alternate routes 
selected by Indiana due to the deletion in accordance with section 
658.11(e). No comments were received.

DATES: Effective Date(s): This Notice is effective immediately.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John C. Nicholas, Truck Size and 
Weight Team, Office of Operations, (202) 366-2317, Mr. Bill Winne, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0791, Federal Highway 
Administration; 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, and 
Mr. Robert Tally, FHWA Division Administrator-Indiana Division, (317) 
226-7476. Office hours for the FHWA are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may retrieve a copy of the Notice and Request for Comment, 
comments submitted to the docket, and a copy of this Final Notice 
through the Federal eRulemaking portal at: 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

    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, as amended, 
designated in accordance with 23 CFR Part 658 and listed in Appendix A. 
In accordance with section 658.11, 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). 
Additionally, the FHWA has the authority to initiate the deletion of 
any route from the National Network, on an emergency basis, for safety 
considerations.
    Pursuant to section 658.11 of title 23, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the Indiana Division of the FHWA announced the continued 
closure of the I-64 Sherman-Minton Bridge over the Ohio River between 
Indiana and Kentucky which the Indiana Governor closed on September 9, 
2011, for safety considerations. The I-64 Sherman-Minton Bridge was 
undergoing a retrofit construction project when a crack was discovered 
in a critical load-carrying element of the bridge. After consultation 
with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), the Kentucky 
Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), and the FHWA, the Governor of Indiana 
closed the bridge immediately. The closure is for an indefinite period 
of time.

Notice and Request for Comment

    The FHWA published a Notice and Request for Comment on October 27, 
2011, at 76 FR 66775, seeking comments from the general public on this 
request. Specifically, the FHWA sought comments from the general public 
on the alternate routes selected by Indiana due to the closure. The 
comment period closed on November 28, 2011. No public comments were 
received.
    The closure of the I-64 Sherman-Minton Bridge has affected traffic 
throughout the Louisville and Southern Indiana region. The closed 
bridge carried an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) count of 80,000 vehicles. 
The I-65 Kennedy Bridge has an ADT of 130,000 vehicles. The additional 
traffic on I-65 due to the Sherman-Minton Bridge closure has increased 
delays in crossing over the Ohio River. The 2010 FHWA Freight 
Performance Measures Initiatives report ranked the I-65 at I-64/I-71 
interchange as the 19th worst out of 250 national freight congestion 
locations.
    The Indiana and Kentucky State transportation officials have 
implemented official detours via the Interstate network. Traffic on 
eastbound I-64 in Indiana is detoured via I-265 eastbound and I-65 
southbound. The traffic on I-65 southbound continues south to cross the 
Ohio River on the I-65 Kennedy Bridge to access downtown Louisville or 
rejoin I-64. Motorists also have the option to use the US 31 Clark 
Memorial Bridge, locally known as the Second Street Bridge, to cross 
the Ohio River into downtown Louisville. Traffic on westbound I-64 in 
Kentucky is detoured, via I-264 (or I-265) northbound to I-71 westbound 
to I-65 northbound. The traffic on I-65 northbound crosses the Ohio 
River on the Kennedy Bridge and continues north to I-265 westbound to 
rejoin I-64.
    To reduce Interstate ramp merging delays, some ramps in the area 
have been closed. The KYTC closed the ramp from I-64 westbound to I-65 
northbound. The INDOT closed the ramp from I-265 westbound to I-65 
southbound. Additionally, INDOT has increased the number of lanes on 
key ramps to lessen bottlenecks on the ramp systems. The I-64 eastbound 
to I-265 eastbound ramp, the I-265 westbound to I-64 westbound ramp, 
and the I-265 eastbound to I-65 southbound ramp were widened from one 
to two lanes. To improve the peak period traffic flow into downtown 
Louisville during the morning, one lane of the four lane US-31 Clark 
Memorial Bridge is being used as a reversible lane. This measure allows 
for three lane openings into Louisville during the peak period in the 
morning.
    The INDOT and the KYTC have coordinated plans with local 
governments on both sides of the Ohio River. The INDOT and the KYTC met 
with local transportation officials and police agencies immediately 
after the closure to prepare for the anticipated overflow of traffic 
from the official detour route on the Interstates to the local network. 
Such coordination is continuing as changes are being made to improve 
travel in the area. Police agencies in the region are also assisting.
    The INDOT is warning motorists of the closure and delays via 
electronic message boards in Indianapolis, Evansville, and throughout 
southern Indiana. The KYTC is warning motorists of the closure and 
delays in Lexington and throughout southern Kentucky. The Illinois 
Department of Transportation is using such boards to notify drivers of 
the closure near the junction of I-57 and I-64. Additionally, the INDOT 
has contacted regional Traffic Management Centers in Cincinnati and St. 
Louis

[[Page 3326]]

regarding the I-64 closure. All Louisville area electronic message 
boards are being used to notify drivers of the closure, detours, and 
delay notices.
    To assist in facilitating interstate commerce, the INDOT and the 
KYTC are coordinating with local trucking associations to minimize 
freight traffic disruptions. The Indiana Department of the Revenue and 
the INDOT have suspended all oversize permits routed on I-64 and are 
redirecting permitted loads to cross the Ohio River at the following 
locations: Evansville US 41 Bridge, Rockport US 231 Bridge, and 
Lawrenceburg I-275 Bridge.
    The KYTC is currently directing oversize and overweight permitted 
loads to avoid all of the Louisville bridges and seek alternate routes. 
Interested parties may apply for such permits to cross the Ohio River 
at the following locations: Henderson US 41 Bridge, Paducah I-24 
Bridge, Owensboro US 231 Bridge, and Northern KY I-275 Bridge.
    Commercial motor vehicles of the dimensions and configurations 
described in 23 CFR 658.13 and 658.15, which serve the affected area 
may use the alternate routes listed above. Vehicles servicing the 
businesses bordering the impacted area will still be able to do so by 
also using the alternate routes noted above and local signage to 
circulate around the restricted area.
    The United States Coast Guard has not placed any restrictions on 
the Ohio River traffic around the area of the Sherman-Minton Bridge at 
this time.
    After full consideration of the INDOT request discussed in this 
Final Notice and determining that the request meets the requirements of 
23 CFR 658.11(e), the FHWA approves the deletion as proposed.

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

    Issued on: January 11, 2012.
Victor M. Mendez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-1204 Filed 1-20-12; 8:45 am]
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