Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 634 of the acts of 1971, as most recently amended by chapter 92 of the acts of 1978, is hereby further amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following two paragraphs:-

The department of public works, hereinafter called the department, acting on behalf of the commonwealth, is hereby authorized and directed to accept the transfer of title to all vehicular bridges carrying public ways over the tracks or right-of-way of railroads and adjacent spans which form part of the same structure within the commonwealth title to which is now vested in cities, towns, counties or railroads, and after such transfer, such bridges shall be state highways and the department shall assume all responsibility for the maintenance, repair, reconstruction, replacement or removal of any such bridges as may be necessary for the public safety and convenience.

In the event that a vehicular bridge so transferred is removed and replaced with fill and roadway by the department, title to said fill and roadway shall, upon completion of said roadway, vest in the city, town, county or other public entity which controls the public way at the approaches to the removed bridge and said fill and roadway shall then no longer be a state highway.

SECTION 2. This act is effective for all bridges transferred to the department of public works in accordance with the provisions of chapter six hundred and thirty-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and seventy-one, which have been removed and filled since the effective date of said chapter six hundred and thirty-four.