Massachusetts General Laws
Title XIV - Public Ways and Works
Chapter 81 - State Highways

Section 1 - Powers and Duties - Section 1. The division of highways, in this chapter called...

Section 2 - Road Information; Duties of Local Officials - Section 2. County commissioners and city and town officers who...

Section 3 - Purchase and Maintenance of Road Machinery; Storage Quarters - Section 3. Steam road rollers and other road machinery, purchased...

Section 4 - Petition - Section 4. If county commissioners, aldermen or selectmen adjudge that...

Section 5 - Filing of Highway Plan; Right to Abandon or Discontinue; Width of Highway - Section 5. If the department determines, after public notice and...

Section 6 - Alteration of Location - Section 6. The department may alter the location of a...

Section 7 - Acquisition of Land Outside Limits of Existing Highway - Section 7. If it is necessary to acquire land for...

Section 7a - Acquisition of Land to Alter or Relocate Ways Connecting With State Highways - Section 7A. In connection with the laying out, alteration or...

Section 7b - Acquisition of Slope Easement to Protect Existing Ways - Section 7B. Wherever in this chapter the department is authorized...

Section 7c - Limited Access Ways; Definition; Acquisition of Land; Motorist Service Facilities - Section 7C. If the department determines that public necessity and...

Section 7d - Public Utility Easements and Cattle Passes - Section 7D. The department may grant easements within state highway...

Section 7e - Sale, Transfer, Lease or Rental of Excess Lands - Section 7E. The department may sell at public or private...

Section 7f - Entry on Private Land for Purpose of Surveys, Soundings, Drillings and Examinations - Section 7F. Whenever the department deems it necessary to make...

Section 7g - Relocation of Public Utilities; Purchase of Lands and Easements - Section 7G. Whenever, in connection with the laying out, widening,...

Section 7h - Lease of Lands for Public Parking Facility - Section 7H. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department...

Section 7i - Agreements With Railroads, Transit Authorities or Other Public Authorities or Municipalities Regarding Relocation or Other Work; Advancement of Funds - Section 7I. The department is hereby authorized to enter into...

Section 7j - Relocation Assistance; Acquisition of Real Property; Payments; Compliance With Federal Acts - Section 7J. In any federally aided program, the department of...

Section 7k - Relocation of Facilities of Public Utilities; Entry Upon Lands - Section 7K. Whenever land or an easement therein is taken...

Section 7l - Lease of Air Rights Over State Highways - Section 7L. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department...

Section 7m - Acquisition of Land for Parks, Historic Sites, etc., to Replace Land Required for Federal Highways - Section 7M. Whenever a federal-aid highway program or project requires...

Section 8 - Construction of State Highways; Advertising for Proposals - Section 8. The department, when about to construct a state...

Section 8b - Statement of Qualification of Persons Bidding on Work Awarded by Division of Highways or Department of Conservation and Recreation - Section 8B. The commissioner of highways or the commissioner of...

Section 8c - Restriction Upon Hours During Which Nonemergency Work May Be Performed on Certain Highways - Section 8C. Any contract for the resurfacing, maintenance, minor reconstruction...

Section 10 - Contributions by Cities and Towns - Section 10. The mayor, selectmen or road commissioners or the...

Section 11 - Acquisition of Land to Supply Road Materials - Section 11. The department shall have the same power as...

Section 12 - Discontinuance or Abandonment - Section 12. The department, with the concurrence of the county...

Section 13 - Duties of Department; Definition of State Highway - Section 13. State highways shall be maintained and kept in...

Section 13a - Highway Landscaping; Acceptance of Gifts of Easements - Section 13A. The department may accept in behalf of the...

Section 13b - Restoration, Preservation and Enhancement of Scenic Beauty and Historic or Archeological Sites; Facilities for Traveling Motorists - Section 13B. The department may acquire by eminent domain under...

Section 14 - Removal of Trees and Other Obstructions Near Highways - Section 14. The department, if it can obtain consent of...

Section 15 - Contracts for Maintenance and Repair - Section 15. The department may contract with the town in...

Section 18 - Defects in Highways; Liability - Section 18. The commonwealth shall be liable for injuries sustained...

Section 19 - Jurisdiction of Local Police; Snow Removal - Section 19. A town shall have police jurisdiction over all...

Section 20 - Sidewalks - Section 20. The department shall from time to time construct...

Section 20a - Illumination of Highways - Section 20A. The department may illuminate, or cause to be...

Section 21 - Excavations or Driveway Openings on State Highways; Conditions; Enforcement - Section 21. No state highway shall be dug up, nor...

Section 22 - Prescriptive Rights of Adjoining Owners - Section 22. No length of possession, or occupancy of land...

Section 24 - Authorization - Section 24. The department may, whenever any money is appropriated...

Section 25 - Maintenance - Section 25. When any public way has been constructed or...

Section 26 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns - Section 26. There may be expended for the repair and...

Section 26a - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Contributions by County - Section 26A. The county commissioners of the county wherein any...

Section 27 - Maintenance Costs; Conditions of Payment - Section 27. Expenditure of state funds under section twenty-six shall...

Section 28 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Performance of Contract - Section 28. The said towns may contract with the department...

Section 29 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Determination of Town's Contribution - Section 29. The department shall determine, ad nearly as possible,...

Section 29a - Laying Out or Altering Ways; Consent, Acquisition, Funds - Section 29A. The department may lay out or alter ways...

Section 30 - Use of Federal Aid for Highways and Rural Post Roads - Section 30. The department may make all contracts and agreements...

Section 31 - Apportionment of Fund; Equalizing Grant; Definitions: Notifications of Amounts Apportioned and to Be Incurred - Section 31. The portion of the Highway Fund allocated for...

Section 32 - Definitions - Section 32. For the purposes of reimbursing cities and towns...