[Federal Register: January 15, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 10)]
[Notices]
[Page 2648-2650]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ja09-158]
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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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