Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 245a - Railroad Construction and Location
Section 13b-283. (Formerly Sec. 16-111). - Repair of structures over or under railroad tracks. Apportionment of costs of repair or replacement. Elimination of highway-railroad grade crossings. Acquisition of land or rights to land. Order to utility r...

(a) Railroad companies shall keep in repair all structures under their tracks at any highway crossing. The state shall maintain and repair any structure (1) which spans a railroad and which supports a municipal road or (2) which spans any rail right-of-way which has been purchased by any state agency. The Commissioner of Transportation shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, and may enter into an agreement with any municipality, as provided in subsection (f) of this section, establishing a method by which the cost of repairing and maintaining any structure provided for in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be apportioned between the state and the municipality in which such structure is located. Any municipality may repair such structures over the tracks of a railroad company located within such municipality. For the purpose of obtaining liability insurance coverage insuring against any losses or injuries suffered during the performance of such repairs, such municipality may, in lieu of purchasing a separate policy of insurance naming such railroad company as an additional insured, purchase a rider to be attached to any existing insurance policy providing such liability coverage, naming such railroad company as an additional insured. The state shall maintain and repair the structures over any railroad on state-maintained highways constructed after January 1, 1955.

(b) The Commissioner of Transportation may expend up to the amount available annually from funds provided by specific appropriation from the Special Transportation Fund or other state funds in addition to any available federal funds to reconstruct, repair or replace with a new structure, together with the minimum approach work required for replacement, any existing structure carrying a town-maintained road or highway over a railroad when such structure is deemed critical from a traffic safety or load-carrying standpoint. The expense of any roadway construction on the approaches beyond what is required to build the new structure shall be paid by the municipality, if the work is done by or approved by the municipality.
(c) The Commissioner of Transportation may expend up to the amount made available from funds provided by specific appropriations from the Special Transportation Fund or other state funds in addition to any available federal funds to eliminate highway-railroad grade crossings by construction of grade separation structures and necessary approaches or by relocation of roads or highways maintained by a municipality to provide access to existing grade separation structures.
(d) The Commissioner of Transportation, as said commissioner deems necessary, may acquire land or rights of ingress to and egress from land abutting any project which he or she undertakes pursuant to this section in the same manner and with like powers as authorized and exercised by said commissioner in acquiring land for state highway purposes.
(e) The Commissioner of Transportation, as said commissioner deems necessary, may issue an order to any utility, as defined in section 13a-98f, to readjust, relocate or remove its facility, at its own expense, from any structure or road abutting a structure in order to perform maintenance or repairs pursuant to this section and such utility shall readjust, relocate or remove its facility promptly in accordance with such order, except that the cost of readjusting, relocating, or removing any municipal utility shall be apportioned on the same basis as the cost of constructing such structure or road abutting such structure. The cost of readjusting, relocating or removing any public service facility which abuts or is within, on, over or under any state highway shall be apportioned in accordance with the provisions of section 13a-126.
(f) The Commissioner of Transportation may enter into an agreement with the authorized official or officials of a municipality for the maintenance and removal of snow and ice from a footpath or sidewalk on any structure provided for in subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 5496; 1953, S. 2611d; 1957, P.A. 433, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 775; P.A. 73-133, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-381, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-151; P.A. 85-540; P.A. 88-364, S. 24, 123; P.A. 94-188, S. 8; P.A. 03-115, S. 72; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 162.)
History: 1971 act deleted requirement that railroad companies keep approaches to crossings repaired when such approaches are made with planked surfaces and that companies maintain and repair replacement structures for road overpasses and structures erected as a result of the elimination of grade crossings and provided for commissioner of transportation to expend up to $500,000 annually from the highway fund to reconstruct or replace any existing structure carrying state or town maintained road over a railroad which is deemed critical from a safety standpoint and to eliminate grade crossings; P.A. 73-133 deleted the $500,000 provided for in the previous amendment and substituted “the amount available from funds provided by specific appropriation”; P.A. 75-381 provided for Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) from existing section, substituted “transportation fund” for “highway fund” and provided that any roadway construction in the approaches beyond that required to build the new structure to be paid for by town if work done by or approved by the town; P.A. 77-151 provided in Subsec. (a) for repair of structures by town, city or borough and for the purchasing of insurance (rider to existing policy) insuring against losses suffered during performance of such repairs in lieu of purchasing a separate policy; in 1981 Sec. 16-111 transferred to Sec. 13b-283; P.A. 85-540 took responsibility for the maintenance and repair of structures over tracks from railroad companies, required the state to maintain and repair any structure which spans a railroad and which supports a municipal road or which spans any rail right-of-way purchased by a state agency, required the commissioner of transportation to adopt regulations apportioning the cost of repair and maintenance among the state, municipality and owner of the structure, and allowed the commissioner to expend funds appropriated from state funds other than the transportation fund for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 88-364 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 94-188 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that regulations be adopted wherein costs would be apportioned “between” the state “and” the municipality, deleting the provision that costs would be apportioned “among” the state, the municipality and the railroad company, and added new Subsecs. (d) and (e); P.A. 03-115 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to make a technical change; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 added Subsec. (f) re agreement for maintenance of footpath or sidewalk and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 30, 2015.
Annotations to former section 16-111:
Effect of section. 62 C. 492. Liability of railroad for damages due to its neglect. 70 C. 396; 74 C. 475. Section not applicable to street railways. 94 C. 239. Under former statute, railroad was not obliged to repair and maintain roadway of bridge. 100 C. 437. Cited. 124 C. 677. Railroad is liable at common law for negligence in permitting dangerous condition on its bridge over a highway; Sec. 13a-149 (formerly Sec. 13-11) does not apply. 126 C. 558. Section requires the railroad to keep in repair all structures over or under its tracks at any highway crossing; contract requiring the city to do so is contrary to statute. 150 C. 366.
In action against railroad for failure to maintain structure, notice must be given as a condition precedent. 7 CS 245.