48:12-75 - Maintenance and repair of completed work
48:12-75. Maintenance and repair of completed work
Completed work under sections 48:12-68 to 48:12-78 of this Title shall be maintained, repaired and renewed as follows:
a. The municipality or public utility involved shall at its own expense, maintain, repair and renew its public utility rails, pipes and lines;
b. Each railroad company shall own and maintain, repair and renew structures within its right of way carrying the railroad over the highway, except as otherwise provided herein;
c. (1) The State shall own and maintain, repair and renew structures within the rights of way of railroad companies carrying highways over railroads, and (2) the State shall bear the cost of maintenance, repair and renewal of structures constructed after the effective date of this act within the rights of way of railroad companies carrying railroads over highways constructed after the effective date of this act and after the acquisition by the railroad of such right of way, and (3) where the State is not liable for cost under (2), above, and the railroad structure is enlarged or replaced by reason of improvements made in a highway after the effective date of this act, the State shall bear the cost of maintenance, repair and renewal of the new or enlarged structure other than such proportion of that cost as the length of the span of the pre-existing railroad structure bears to the length of the span of the enlarged or new railroad structure. For the purpose of the foregoing provisions of this subsection, a structure shall be deemed constructed on the date the contract therefor is awarded by the commissioner, and a highway shall be deemed constructed or improved on the date the contract is awarded by the commissioner for the construction of the section of the highway or improvement, as the case may be, passing under the railroad structure in question. None of the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall relieve any railroad company from responsibility for damage caused to any highway or railroad structure by the operation of its railroad. Such approaches, curbing, sidewalk paving, guard rails on approaches and surface paving on roadways as shall be within the rights of way of a railroad company or companies shall be owned and maintained, repaired and renewed by the State.
Amended by L.1960, c. 155, p. 685, s. 1, eff. Dec. 27, 1960.