Section 67-3-41 - Highway maintenance contracts with counties; failure of county to maintain; utility lines.
67-3-41. Highway maintenance contracts with counties; failure of county to maintain; utility lines.
All state highways constructed and improved under the provisions of Chapter 67 NMSA 1978 shall be maintained by the state transportation commission, but not more than fifty percent of the cost of such maintenance shall be paid by the state and not less than fifty percent shall be paid by the counties. The state transportation commission may, however, contract with the board of county commissioners of any county to maintain any state highway or highways therein in accordance with standards prescribed by the secretary and subject to supervision and inspection by him, and if the board of county commissioners of any county so contracting to maintain such highways shall fail, neglect or refuse properly to execute such work of maintenance, the secretary, after reasonable notice, may have such work of maintenance done and charge the county's portion of the cost to the allotment due the county from the state road fund for the year in which work is done. No pipelines, poles or telephone or electric transmission lines or railways, authorized to be placed on or along roads constructed or improved under the provisions of Chapter 67 NMSA 1978 shall be located except in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed therefor by the state transportation commission.