Title 13a — Title 13a: Highways and Bridges

Sec. 13a-129. Court procedure. Estimate of damages. Appeal. Upon twelve days' notice of such petition to such town or towns and to all owners of land abutting on such highways and to such other persons as the court orders, served and returned in the same manner as in civil proces…

Sec. 13a-130. Bridges over railroad tracks. The bottom timbers of all bridges constructed over any railroad track shall be not less than eighteen feet above the rails, unless the Commissioner of Transportation requires a lesser height and prescribes the same in writing. (1949 Rev…

Sec. 13a-131. Alteration of highway made unsafe by railroad occupation. The superior court for the judicial district in which is located any highway, or any portion thereof, taken for railroad purposes by any corporation, unless such highway or portion thereof is in a city or bor…

Sec. 13a-132. Alteration of railroad facilities in construction of highway. When it is necessary for the commissioner to construct a highway which intersects or crosses over or under any railroad, said commissioner may order any railroad company to change or alter its existing fa…

Sec. 13a-133. Contracts with railroads where tracks to be altered. Advancement of funds. The commissioner may enter into agreements with railroad corporations for the purpose of performing any work which may be necessary in connection with the construction of highways, bridges an…

Sec. 13a-134. Location of tracks of street railway. Section 13a-134 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 2232; 1958 Rev., S. 13-115; 1963, P.A. 226, S. 134; P.A. 85-246, S. 22.)

Sec. 13a-135. Taking of street railway rails and ties by commissioner. The commissioner may take, under the provisions of the general statutes relating to the taking of land for highway purposes, the ties, track appurtenances and rails of any disbanded or defunct street railway c…

Sec. 13a-136. Benefits assessed where highway is dike against tides. Whenever any town lays out any public highway, either by action of its selectmen or by a decree of the Superior Court, across any meadow or lowlands, and such meadow or lowlands are open to the overflow of the t…

Sec. 13a-137. Material for repair of highway taken from private land. Whenever necessary material for making or repairing any highway in any town cannot be obtained without great inconvenience from land sequestered for highways but may be found on land abutting on the highway, ot…

Sec. 13a-138. Highways may be drained into private lands. (a) Persons authorized to construct or to repair highways may make or clear any watercourse or place for draining off the water therefrom into or through any person's land so far as necessary to drain off such water and, w…

Sec. 13a-138a. Limitation on actions for drainage damage. No action shall be brought by the owner of land adjoining a public highway, or of any interest in such land, for recovery of damage to such property or interest by reason of any draining of water into or through such land …

Sec. 13a-139. Clearing untraveled portion of highway. When any person owning or occupying land abutting on any highway has cut the brush and weeds on, removed the stones and rubbish from, and otherwise improved, the land within the limits of such highway between the traveled port…

Sec. 13a-140. Removal of trees along state highways. Penalties established by municipalities. (a) The commissioner may cut, remove or prune any tree, shrub or other vegetation situated wholly or partially within the limits of any state highway so far as is reasonably necessary fo…

Sec. 13a-141. Bridle paths; pedestrian walks; bicycle paths. (a) Upon written application made to the commissioner in such form as he prescribes, said commissioner may issue permits to private individuals, corporations or other organizations or to towns or other public authoritie…

Sec. 13a-141a. State-wide footpath and bicycle trail plan. (a) The Commissioner of Transportation shall prepare and, when necessary, revise a state-wide plan for the establishment of footpaths and bicycle trails to be located adjacent to state and local roads except: (1) Where th…

Sec. 13a-142. Bridle paths along Merritt Parkway. The commissioner may connect the bridle paths established along the Merritt Parkway under the provisions of section 13a-141 and may defray the expenses of making such connections at a cost not to exceed two thousand dollars. (1949…

Sec. 13a-142a. Acquisition of land adjacent to highway for environmental protection purposes. The Commissioner of Transportation may acquire by purchase but not by condemnation, in the same manner and with like powers as said commissioner possesses in purchasing real property for…

Sec. 13a-142b. Development of linear parks along state highways. If requested by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Transportation may acquire by purchase, gift, or condemnation, in the same manner and with like powers as authorized and e…

Sec. 13a-142c. Authority of Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall have the authority to: (1) Accept, receive and administer, on behalf of the state, any grants, loans or other funds made available to the sta…

Sec. 13a-142d. Route 11 linear park. (a) The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is authorized to establish, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, a linear park along Route 11, utilizing both the highway right-of-way and other adjoining lands acquire…

Sec. 13a-142e. Route 11 Greenway Authority Commission. Transfer of real property to Commissioner of Transportation. (a) The towns of East Lyme, Montville, Salem and Waterford may, by ordinance consistent with the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, establish a …

Sec. 13a-143. Commercial establishments along limited access highways. No commercial establishment shall be constructed or located within the right-of-way of, or on publicly owned or publicly leased land acquired or used for or in connection with, a limited access state highway, …

Sec. 13a-143a. Driveway permits. No person shall construct a new driveway or relocate an existing driveway leading onto a state highway without first obtaining a permit from the Commissioner of Transportation. In determining the advisability of issuing such permit, the commission…

Sec. 13a-143b. Car-wash installation to correct icy highway conditions. Any person who operates a car-wash installation shall provide means, including but not limited to sanding, to correct any hazardous icy condition on the street or highway adjacent to such place of business ar…

Sec. 13a-143c. Regulations establishing minimum requirements re traffic safety for car wash facilities. Not later than February 1, 1996, the Commissioner of Transportation shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish minimum requirements re…

Sec. 13a-143d. Floodlights intended for private property illumination located within the state right-of-way on state highways. (a) For the purposes of this section: (1) “Fixture” means the assembly that holds a lamp and may include an assembly housing, a mounting bracket or pole …

Sec. 13a-144. Damages for injuries sustained on state highways or sidewalks. Any person injured in person or property through the neglect or default of the state or any of its employees by means of any defective highway, bridge or sidewalk which it is the duty of the Commissioner…

Sec. 13a-145. Use of closed highway at user's risk. Any person using a state highway or bridge which has been designated as closed or restricted under the provisions of section 13a-115 shall do so at his own risk except with respect to any injury or loss not traceable to a defect…

Sec. 13a-146. Closing of municipal highway or bridge during expressway construction. Liability for injury. During the time that any highway or bridge is closed for the construction of an expressway under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 13a-115, the provisions of secti…

Sec. 13a-147. Detours to be restored. Any highway or bridge which has been injured by traffic detoured by the commissioner from a state highway or bridge, while such state highway or bridge is being constructed, repaired or reconstructed, shall be restored by the commissioner to …

Sec. 13a-148. Damage to municipal highway or bridge in state highway construction. Where any highway or bridge required to be maintained in repair by any municipality is damaged by the operation thereon of equipment used in the construction of any state highway, or portion thereo…

Sec. 13a-149. Damages for injuries by means of defective roads and bridges. Any person injured in person or property by means of a defective road or bridge may recover damages from the party bound to keep it in repair. No action for any such injury sustained on or after October 1…

Sec. 13a-150. Obligations of towns. The obligations for highways constructed under the provisions of part II of chapter 240, imposed under the provisions of sections 13a-144 and 13a-149 upon towns and upon the state, shall be assumed by the towns which accept an allocation of fun…

Sec. 13a-151. Violation of load capacity of bridge. Liability for damages to vehicle not in violation. (a) The owner of a motor vehicle that crosses or attempts to cross any bridge posted with a maximum weight limit notice, as required by section 13a-121, when such vehicle has a …

Sec. 13a-152. Damages for failure to maintain railing or fence. Any person who suffers damage in his person or property by reason of the want of any railing or fence required by section 13a-111 may recover damages from the party required to erect and maintain the same, but no act…

Sec. 13a-153. State liability for bridle paths, pedestrian walks and bicycle paths and injuries thereon. (a) No person, firm or corporation performing or engaged in performing work under the provisions of section 13a-141 or contributing any labor, services, supplies or materials …

Secs. 13a-153a to 13a-153e. Reserved for future use. PART XI USER ACCOMMODATIONS ANDFACILITIES

Sec. 13a-153f. Accomodations and provision of facilities for all users. (a) For the purposes of this section: (1) “Department” means the Department of Transportation; (2) “Funds” means any funds from the Special Transportation Fund, bond allocations and any other source that is a…

Sec. 13a-153g. Design standards for roads. Not later than July 1, 2018, the Commissioner of Transportation shall update design standards for roads in the state. Such design standards shall include, as appropriate, the standards contained within the National Association of City Tr…

Sec. 13a-36. Milestones to be reset. The commissioner shall reset any milestone found in the course of the construction by him of any highway which follows approximately the route of an ancient turnpike or highway. (1949 Rev., S. 2249; 1958 Rev., S. 13-136; 1963, P.A. 226, S. 37.…

Sec. 13a-37. Determination of boundaries. If, in the opinion of the commissioner, the boundary lines or limits of any state highway have become lost or uncertain, he may cause a map or maps of such highway to be made and may reestablish such boundary lines or limits as, in his op…

Sec. 13a-38. Entry on private property to determine boundary. The commissioner or his agent may enter upon private property for the purpose of surveying or examining such property for the determination of the boundary line of any highway under his control. He shall use care so th…

Sec. 13a-39. Selectmen to define bounds of highway. Whenever the boundaries of any highway have been lost or become uncertain, the selectmen of any town in which such highway is located, upon the written application of any of the proprietors of land adjoining such highway, may ca…

Sec. 13a-40. Appeal. Any person aggrieved by such decision may appeal to the superior court for the judicial district where such highway is situated within ten days after notice of such decision has been given, which appeal shall be in writing, containing a brief statement of the…

Sec. 13a-41. Bounds of new highways to be marked and recorded. Whenever a new highway has been laid out by authority of any town or city, such highway shall be marked or defined in the following manner: At the beginning and termination by stone, steel or iron bounds on each side,…

Sec. 13a-42. Taking of roads into state system. The commissioner may take into the state highway system any highway, section of highway or appurtenances thereto when said commissioner finds that it is in the best interest of the state to do so, and such highway, section of highwa…

Sec. 13a-43. Abandonment of state highway. The commissioner may, in connection with a new highway constructed in a town, abandon any highway, or section or appurtenance thereof, in the state highway system no longer conforming with the definitions set out in section 13a-14 or no …

Sec. 13a-44. Transfer of state highway to town. The commissioner may transfer any highway, or section or appurtenance thereof, in the state highway system to the town or towns through which such highway, or section or appurtenance thereof, runs when it does not conform with the d…

Sec. 13a-45. Effective date of transfers and abandonments. Transfers or abandonments under section 13a-42, 13a-43 or 13a-44 shall be effective sixty days after notice thereof has been given by the commissioner to the selectmen of the town involved, provided notice of any such tra…

Sec. 13a-46. Transfers of rights in lands on transfer of roads. The commissioner shall transfer all right, title and interest vested in the state with the transfer of any highway, or portion or appurtenance thereof, to a town and shall assume all right, title and interest in or t…