Federal Highway Administration January 15, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 vehiclesI-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 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.