56-363 - Crossing of a railroad or public highway by another railroad; crossing of a railroad by a public highway.
§ 56-363. Crossing of a railroad or public highway by another railroad;crossing of a railroad by a public highway.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossingsof one railroad by another, or a public highway by a railroad, or a railroadby a public highway, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above orbelow the existing facility. And every railroad hereafter constructed acrossanother railroad or across a public highway, and every public highwayhereafter constructed across a railroad, shall, wherever it is reasonablypracticable, and does not involve an unreasonable expense, all thecircumstances of the case considered, pass above or beneath the existingstructure at a sufficient elevation or depression, as the case may be, witheasy grades, so as to admit of safe speedy travel over each.
If constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure isnot practical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governingbody constructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the lawsof the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for thesafe movement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit thenumber of new public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessarycrossings.
(Code 1919, § 3972; 1996, cc. 114, 157.)