The Commissioner of Transportation may, in the absence of any application therefor, when in the commissioner's opinion public safety requires an alteration in any highway crossed at grade by a railroad or by railroads belonging to or operated by more than one company, after a hearing had upon such notice as the commissioner deems reasonable to the company or companies owning or operating such railroad or railroads and to the selectmen of the town, mayor of the city or warden of the borough within which such highway is situated and to the owners of the land adjoining such crossing, order such alterations in such highway as the commissioner deems best, and shall determine and direct by whom such alterations shall be made, at whose expense and within what time; provided, in all cases arising under this section, one-fourth of the expense, including damages and special damages as aforesaid, shall be paid by the state and the remainder shall be assessed upon the railroad company or companies benefited by such order; and provided such alterations as are thus made at the primary instance of the commissioner shall not be ordered so as to direct the construction of more than one bridge in any one year on any one railroad. Railroad companies may take land for the purpose of this section. No land shall be taken by any railroad company for the purpose mentioned in this section, except such as the commissioner finds to be necessary for such purpose; but no such taking need be based upon any special finding that public necessity and convenience require such taking.
(1949 Rev., S. 5491; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 00-148, S. 39; P.A. 01-105, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 75-486 substituted “public utilities control authority” for “public utilities commission” and “authority” for “commission” where appearing, effective December 1, 1975; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 substituted “commissioner of transportation” for “public utilities control authority” and “commissioner” for “authority” where appearing, effective January 1, 1979; in 1981 Sec. 16-102 transferred to Sec. 13b-274; (Revisor's note: P.A. 00-148 repealed Secs. 13b-247, 13b-255 to 13b-259, inclusive, 13b-266 and 13b-306 and, in so doing, specifically required the Revisors to delete references to said repealed sections in certain sections of the general statutes, including this section; the Revisors were unable to delete a reference to Sec. 13b-256 from this section without making unauthorized substantive changes to the statute); P.A. 01-105 made technical changes.
Annotation to former section 16-102:
Cited. 100 C. 326.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 245a - Railroad Construction and Location
Section 13b-244. (Formerly Sec. 16-76). - Powers.
Section 13b-245. (Formerly Sec. 16-77). - Right to take land limited; land of infants and others.
Section 13b-246. (Formerly Sec. 16-78). - Notice concerning layout and real estate.
Section 13b-247. (Formerly Sec. 16-79). - Approval for taking of land.
Section 13b-248. (Formerly Sec. 16-80). - Alteration of location.
Section 13b-249. (Formerly Sec. 16-81). - Alteration of grades.
Section 13b-250. (Formerly Sec. 16-82). - Land for additional tracks.
Section 13b-252. (Formerly Sec. 16-82b). - Structures exempted from overhead clearance requirement.
Section 13b-253. (Formerly Sec. 16-83). - Land cut off from access to highway.
Section 13b-254. (Formerly Sec. 16-84). - Layout through cemetery.
Section 13b-260. (Formerly Sec. 16-90). - Plan of road to be deposited with town clerk.
Section 13b-261. (Formerly Sec. 16-91). - Statement of location filed with secretary.
Section 13b-262. (Formerly Sec. 16-92). - Security from contractors for labor; liability of company.
Section 13b-263. (Formerly Sec. 16-93). - Crossing of one railroad by another.
Section 13b-264. (Formerly Sec. 16-94). - Branch lines.
Section 13b-265. (Formerly Sec. 16-95). - Crossing highway or watercourse.
Section 13b-266. (Formerly Sec. 16-96). - Land for change of highway.
Section 13b-267. (Formerly Sec. 16-97). - Construction over highway at grade restricted.
Section 13b-269. (Formerly Sec. 16-99). - Bridge over railroad.
Section 13b-270. (Formerly Sec. 16-100). - Removal of grade crossings.
Section 13b-271. (Formerly Sec. 16-100a). - Temporary grade crossings.
Section 13b-272. (Formerly Sec. 16-100b). - Relocation of grade crossing.
Section 13b-273. (Formerly Sec. 16-101). - Elimination of grade crossings by removing railroad.
Section 13b-276. (Formerly Sec. 16-104). - Elimination of dangerous condition.
Section 13b-277. (Formerly Sec. 16-105). - Appeal.
Section 13b-279. (Formerly Sec. 16-107). - Highway crossed by more than one railroad.
Section 13b-280. (Formerly Sec. 16-108). - Assessment of damages.
Section 13b-281. (Formerly Sec. 16-109). - Obstruction of view adjoining grade crossing.
Section 13b-282. (Formerly Sec. 16-110). - Change in location of highways crossed by a railroad.
Section 13b-284. (Formerly Sec. 16-112). - Reimbursement of towns and cities.
Section 13b-286. (Formerly Sec. 16-114). - Change of highway; petition by railroad.
Section 13b-287. (Formerly Sec. 16-115). - Land may be taken for changed location of highway.
Section 13b-288. (Formerly Sec. 16-116). - Statutes made part of charters.
Section 13b-289. (Formerly Sec. 16-117). - Easements and private crossings may be condemned.
Section 13b-290. (Formerly Sec. 16-118). - Highway crossing discontinued.
Section 13b-291. (Formerly Sec. 16-119). - Private crossing to be restored.
Section 13b-292. (Formerly Sec. 16-119a). - Private crossings; protection requirements.
Section 13b-293. (Formerly Sec. 16-120). - Maintenance of changed highway.
Section 13b-294. (Formerly Sec. 16-121). - Guards for rails at crossings.
Section 13b-295. (Formerly Sec. 16-122). - Overhead bridge guards. Penalty.
Section 13b-296. (Formerly Sec. 16-123). - Guard rails on bridges. Penalty.
Section 13b-297. (Formerly Sec. 16-124). - Footways on railroad bridges.
Section 13b-298. (Formerly Sec. 16-125). - Cattle guards.
Section 13b-299. (Formerly Sec. 16-126). - Fences.
Section 13b-300. (Formerly Sec. 16-127). - Order for fencing.
Section 13b-301. (Formerly Sec. 16-128). - Penalty. Damage.
Section 13b-303. (Formerly Sec. 16-130). - Fences affected by contract.
Section 13b-304. (Formerly Sec. 16-131). - Roads operated by trustees.
Section 13b-305. (Formerly Sec. 16-132). - Complaint by state's attorney for neglect of highway.
Section 13b-306. (Formerly Sec. 16-133). - Property needed for changing road or bridge.
Section 13b-307. (Formerly Sec. 16-134). - Change of location of canals or watercourses.
Section 13b-308. (Formerly Sec. 16-135). - Commercial sidetracks or branch line tracks at grade.
Section 13b-309. (Formerly Sec. 16-136). - Abandonment of station.
Section 13b-310. (Formerly Sec. 16-137). - Change of station when line is moved.
Section 13b-311. (Formerly Sec. 16-138). - Rebuilding or repairing of station.
Section 13b-312. - Owner of station to comply with structural guidelines and standards.
Section 13b-313. (Formerly Sec. 16-139). - Petition to stop trains.
Section 13b-314. (Formerly Sec. 16-139a). - Maintenance of station by municipality.
Section 13b-315. - Enforcement of statutory provisions and orders of commissioner.