Title 17, Highways

§ 417. Credit of State not pledged. Bonds issued under this chapter shall be payable exclusively from the revenues of the Department and shall contain a statement on their face that the state shall not be obligated to pay the bonds or the interest thereon except from such revenue…

§ 418. Trust indenture. (a) In the discretion of the Department, each and any issue of such bonds may be secured by a trust indenture by and between the Department and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or witho…

§ 419. Remedies of bondholders and trustees. Any holder of bonds issued under this chapter or any of the coupons attached thereto and the trustee under the trust indenture, if any, except to the extent the rights given by this chapter may be restricted by resolution passed before…

§ 420. Power to collect and pledge tolls and revenues; fixation of tolls, rates or charges. (a) The Department may make and enforce such rules and regulations and establish, levy and collect (or authorize by contract, franchise, lease or otherwise, the establishment, levy and col…

§ 421. Contributions. The Department, in addition to the moneys which may be received from the sale of bonds and from the collection of tolls and other revenues derived under this chapter, shall have authority to accept from any federal agency or other public or private body, or …

§ 422. Moneys as trust funds. All moneys received pursuant to this chapter, whether as proceeds from the sale of bonds or grants or other contributions, or as tolls and revenues, shall be deemed to be trust funds, to be held and applied solely as provided in this chapter. The Dep…

§ 423. State covenant for control of crossings. The State covenants and agrees with the holders of any of the bonds issued by the Department under this chapter, for which there may be pledged the revenues of the Department or any part thereof, that so long as said bonds or obliga…

§ 424. Pecuniary interest of member or employee; penalty. Whoever, being a member or employee of the Department, is directly or indirectly pecuniarily interested in any contract or subcontract made in connection with the construction, improvement, repair, operation or maintenance…

§ 425. Penalty for nonpayment of toll. Whoever uses or attempts to use any toll crossing operated or maintained by the Department without paying the toll at the rate then in force for such use, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 30 days or both.17 Del. …

§ 426. Construction of chapter. This chapter shall be liberally construed to carry its purposes into effect.17 Del. C. 1953, § 427; 50 Del. Laws, c. 492, § 26;

§ 501. Use of public road or bridge by railway. No public road or bridge shall be used or occupied by any electric or other railway without the consent of the Department being first obtained, and such operation shall be subject to such regulations and conditions as the Department…

§ 502. Closing of roads during repair. (a) Whenever, in the judgment of the Department, it is necessary to close a road or a portion thereof which is being constructed, improved or repaired by the Department, upon the adoption of a resolution by the Department to the effect that …

§ 503. Nuisance; penalty. Whoever encroaches upon, or obstructs or commits any nuisance in, a public road or wilfully obstructs or injures a public bridge shall be fined not less than $15 nor more than $50. In case of a continuing nuisance, the judge shall order the person to aba…

§ 504. Entry upon contiguous or adjacent lands or streams; assessment of damages; hindering or obstructing work; penalty. (a) In order to obtain the free passage of water for drainage of any road or causeway under its jurisdiction, the Department or its agents may enter upon any …

§ 505. Selling of nonuniform traffic-control devices; penalty. Whoever sells or offers for sale for use on any public highway in this State any traffic-control device which does not conform to the Delaware Manual on Uniform Traffic-Control Devices for Division of Highways shall b…

§ 506. Maintenance priority of roads used for school buses or mail routes. All roads under the jurisdiction of the Department over which school buses and mail routes are established shall have first consideration in the expenditure of state road funds for the purpose of making an…

§ 507. Coordinating new development with local transportation improvements. (a) Legislative findings. — (1) Under Chapters 1 and 5 of this title, the Department of Transportation reviews and approves entrance design and internal transportation network requirements for new and exi…

§ 508. Dedication of new roads and streets for state maintenance; approval required; security. (a) (1) As used in this section, “developer” means the owner of real property on which residential or commercial development is occurring, or the person actually engaged in the developm…

§ 509. Highways deemed public roads. All public roads, causeways and bridges laid out as such, or made by lawful authority, or which have been used as such and maintained at the public charge for 20 years or more are declared to be common highways. The usage by the public for 20 …

§ 510. Speed limit and weight limits on structure. (a) The Department may conduct an investigation of any public or private bridge, causeway, viaduct or other elevated structure which crosses any public highway regardless of the owner or the owners of said bridge, causeway, viadu…

§ 511. Injury to roads and bridges; double damages; jurisdiction of courts; procedure and appeal. (a) Whoever negligently or wilfully injures or damages any public road, bridge or drain, or any gate, light or other appurtenance maintained and used for the convenience or safety of…

§ 512. Injury to roads, bridges, etc.; penalty. Whoever wilfully damages or injures any public road, bridge, drain, light, gate or other appurtenance used and maintained for the safety or convenience of the traveling public shall be fined not more than $500. However, if the damag…

§ 513. Trimming of hedges and removal of trimmings; penalty. All hedges growing along any of the public roads in this State shall be trimmed at least once in every year to a height of not more than 41/2 feet, and the owner, tenant or occupant of any land upon which such hedge is …

§ 514. Glass or injurious obstruction on public highways; penalty [Repealed]. Repealed by 60 Del. Laws, c. 701, § 5, effective Aug. 5, 1976.

§ 515. Maintenance of unfenced junkyards within certain distance of highways; penalty. (a) No person shall place, store or permit the placing or storage of abandoned or scrapped automobiles, or automobiles that have been junked, or maintain or keep any yard where scrapped, abando…

§ 516. Creation or maintenance of nuisance within certain limits. (a) No person shall create, erect, maintain or continue a nuisance, as defined in subsection (b) of this section, within 200 feet of either side of the right-of-way of any public highway entering into the City of W…

§ 517. Boulevard corporations. Article 10, Chapter 65 of the Revised Code of Delaware 1935 shall continue in full force and effect as to boulevard corporations established according to law and existing at the time of the effective date of this Code.17 Del. C. 1953, § 517;

§ 518. Trash within a certain distance of the highway; penalty. (a) No person shall throw, deposit or place any trash, rubbish or garbage within 100 feet of any public highway in this State. (b) Whoever violates this section shall be punished as follows: The court shall order the…

§ 519. William J. Winchester Bridge. The Department of Transportation is hereby directed to name the bridge which crosses the Christina River at Third Street in the City of Wilmington the “William J. Winchester Bridge.”62 Del. Laws, c. 54, § 1;

§ 520. Injury to trees, shrubs, and landscaping. (a) Whoever negligently, wilfully or maliciously injures or damages trees, shrubs or other landscaping under the jurisdiction and control of the Department shall forfeit and pay treble damages therefor. The damages shall be compute…

§ 521. Snow removal in nonmunicipal residential communities. (a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Department” means the Department of Transportation. (2) “Feeder road” means a road that serves more than a single residential development or community as a primary entry way. These…

§ 524. Removal of nonofficial signs from utility poles within state rights-of-way. (a) Legislative findings. — The General Assembly finds that persons and firms post nonofficial signs on utility poles without prior authorization from the pole owner. Placing such signs on these po…

§ 525. Maintenance of clear zones within rights-of-way. (a) The Department is authorized to maintain clear zones within the rights-of-way under its jurisdiction in the unincorporated areas of the State. In maintaining these clear zones, the Department shall have the immediate aut…

§ 526. Restrictions against commercial use of State rights-of-way; site-based enforcement mechanisms. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, there shall be no commercial activity within any rights-of-way under the Department’s jurisdiction in the unincorporated…

§ 527. Coordination with other statutes. In the event of a conflict between §§ 525 and 526 of this title and Chapter 11 of this title, §§ 525 and 526 shall take precedence.71 Del. Laws, c. 318, § 7;

§ 528. Restrictions against vehicle sales activities on State rights-of-way. (a) No vehicle shall be left unattended on a state right-of-way for the purpose of selling such vehicle. (b) If a duly authorized employee of the Department of Transportation or a police officer shall de…

§ 529. Inspection requirements for bridge owners. (a) As used herein, the terms “bridge” and “bridge with approaches” are defined as structures, including supports, erected over a depression or an obstruction such as water, a highway or a railway, with tracks or passageways for c…

§ 530. Dedication of right-of-way adjacent to a state highway. Notwithstanding any rule, law, or provision to the contrary, the dedication of a right-of-way along a state highway by any property owner pursuing a subdivision of their land, shall not be required where the property …

§ 531. Connections to roads within restricted age communities. (a) The Department shall not accept into the state maintenance system any new road or street, pursuant to its authority under § 508 of this title, if the new road or street makes a connection to an existing street rig…

§ 532. Memorial signage. Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, memorial signs for firefighters, EMS personnel, or law-enforcement officers killed along a Delaware road or highway in the line of duty are specifically authorized to be placed along the road near the…

§ 533. Establishment of Department ownership of abandoned land encumbered by Department right-of-way easements. (a) Any land encumbered by a permanent easement for right-of-way purposes may be deemed to be owned in fee simple, by the Department, in the name of the State, when suc…

§§ 601-622. Finding and declarations of legislative intent; definitions; Delaware Turnpike; John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway; Turnpike Division; preliminary expenses; general grant of powers; incidental powers; State highways and bridges; revenues; exemption from taxation; mainte…

§ 701. Whistles at public highway crossings; blocking of crossings; penalty; jurisdiction. (a) Every corporation operating any line of railroad within this State shall cause the approach of its locomotive engine to every public highway crossing such line of railroad at grade to b…

§ 702. Elimination of grade crossings; ascertainment of damages to owners. Whenever eliminating any grade crossing in this State is desired, either by lowering or raising the grade of any public road at such grade crossing, whereby it becomes necessary to take or occupy any prope…

§ 703. Crossing by state highways with watercourses or railroads. (a) The Department may cross any canal, navigable stream or watercourse with a state highway, but in such manner as not unnecessarily to impede the navigation and use thereof, and also may cross any railroad or rai…

§ 704. Abandonment of roads crossing railroad at grade; relocation of roads; character of construction. (a) Whenever in the opinion of the Department a public road crossing of a railroad at grade should be abandoned, the Department may close and vacate the public road or such par…