[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 16, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15511-15512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07519]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2018-0955]
RIN 1625-AA09


Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Belle River, LA

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing a temporary deviation to the 
operating schedule that regulates the State Route 70 (SR 70), pontoon 
bridge across the Belle River mile 23.8, near Pierre Part, Assumption 
Parish, Louisiana. This temporary deviation is needed to collect and 
analyze information on vehicle traffic congestion on SR 70 created when 
the drawbridge opens to vessel traffic and the impact to the reasonable 
needs of navigation when the bridge closes to vessels during periods of 
high vehicle traffic. During this temporary deviation the drawbridge 
will remain closed to navigation.

DATES:  This deviation is effective from 6 a.m. on May 17, 2019 to 6 
a.m. on August 30, 2019. Comments and related material must be received 
by the Coast Guard on or before September 23, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2018-0955 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Participation and Request for 
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further 
instructions on submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
rulemaking, call or email Mr. Doug Blakemore, Eighth Coast Guard 
District Bridge Administrator; telephone (504) 671-2128, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Table of Abbreviations

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
LA DOTD Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
SR State Route
Sec.  Section
U.S.C. United States Code

II. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    LA DOTD has requested to change the operating requirements for the 
SR 70 pontoon bridge across the Belle River mile 23.8, near Pierre 
Part, Assumption Parish, Louisiana. This bridge currently opens on 
signal, except that from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the draw shall open on 
signal if at least four hour notice is given according to 33 CFR 
117.424.
    LA DOTD requested changing this bridge operating schedule because 
vehicle traffic has become congested during June, July, and August. 
This waterway is heavily used by recreational vessels during the summer 
months.
    LA DOTD conducted a field study that showed that about 80 cars were 
delayed approximately 15 minutes each time the bridge opened to vessel 
traffic and that the bridge sometimes opened as many as 4 times per 
hour. To alleviate this congestion LA DOTD has requested to open the 
bridge to vessel traffic on the hour from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
    This 105-day temporary deviation to the regulations will allow LA 
DOTD to collect additional vehicle traffic data to measure the impact 
of bridge closures on traffic congestion. It will also allow the Coast 
Guard to collect data on the impact of the proposed regulation change 
on vessels.
    This bridge has a vertical clearance of zero feet in the closed to 
vessel traffic position and unlimited vertical clearance in the open to 
vessel traffic position. In June, July, and August 2017 the bridge 
opened for vessels 374 times. During this temporary deviation the 
bridge will operate as follows:
    From 6 a.m. on June 1, 2019 through 6 p.m. on August 31, 2019 the 
draw of the SR 70 pontoon bridge across the Belle River mile 23.8, near 
Pierre Part, Assumption Parish, Louisiana shall open on signal on the 
hour from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and that from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the draw 
shall open on signal if at least four hour notice is given. The bridge 
will open on signal for emergencies.
    The Coast Guard will inform the users of this waterway through 
Local and Broadcast Notice to Mariners of the

[[Page 15512]]

change in operating schedule for the bridge so that vessel operators 
can arrange their transits to minimize any impact caused by the 
temporary deviation.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
its regular operating schedule immediately at the end of the effective 
period of this temporary deviation. This deviation from the operating 
regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

III. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    Public participation is essential to effective rulemaking. The 
Coast Guard will consider all comments and material received during the 
comment period. If you submit a comment, please include the docket 
number for this rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this 
document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, you may review a Privacy Act notice regarding the Federal 
Docket Management System in the March 24, 2005, issue of the Federal 
Register (70 FR 15086).
    Documents mentioned in this temporary rule change, and all public 
comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and 
can be viewed by following that website's instructions. Additionally, 
if you go to the online docket and sign up for email alerts, you will 
be notified when comments are posted or a final rule is published.

    Dated: April 10, 2019.
Douglas A. Blakemore,
Bridge Administrator, Eighth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2019-07519 Filed 4-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P