Title 254, BRIDGES

Sec. 17. Act liberally construed. This act, being necessary for the welfare of the state and its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes hereof.

Sec. 1. The bridge across Portage lake extending from Dakotah street in the village of Houghton to Front street in the city of Hancock, Houghton county, is declared a part of the state trunk line highway system, and the improvement, repair and maintenance thereof shall be under t…

Sec. 2. The state highway commissioner is authorized to carry out or assume the obligations of any contracts now existing with railroad companies or other corporations or persons with respect to rentals, damages, use, improvement, repair and maintenance of said bridge. Said state…

Sec. The cost of all work herein provided with respect to said bridge shall be payable out of any funds available for the construction, repair and maintenance of trunk line bridges.

Sec. 4. All work involved in or incidental to the maintenance, repair and improvement of said bridge shall be performed in such manner as is or may be provided by law for the maintenance, repair and improvement of trunk line bridges, except when the manner of performing such work…

Sec. 5. Any rentals, damages or other moneys becoming due and payable under any such contracts with respect to said bridge shall be paid to the state and placed to the credit of the general highway fund.

Sec. 6. The state highway commissioner and other proper officers are hereby authorized, empowered and directed to do all acts or things necessary to carry out the purpose of this act.

Sec. 7. Nothing in this act contained shall operate to relieve any person, firm or corporation from the obligations of any existing contract, or the county of Houghton from any municipal obligation under its police powers.

Sec. 1. As used in this act: (a) "Authority" means the Mackinac bridge authority created in 1950 (Ex Sess) PA 21, MCL 254.301 to 254.302. This subdivision does not apply to sections 14a, 14b, 14d, and 14e. (b) "Board" means the members of the authority. This subdivision does not …

Sec. 2. The corporate existence of the authority shall continue until all of its liabilities have been met and the bonds, including refunding bonds, have been paid in full or otherwise discharged and when all such liabilities and bonds have been discharged in full, all rights and…

Sec. 4. The authority is hereby authorized and empowered to construct a suitable bridge (as “construct” and “bridge” are above defined) joining and linking together the upper peninsula and the lower peninsula of Michigan and to operate, maintain, improve and repair such bridge. T…

Sec. 5. (1) The authority may by resolution of the board provide for the issuance of revenue bonds for the purpose of paying the cost of the bridge or for the purpose of refunding the bonds, including refunding bonds, or for any combination of these purposes. Refunding bonds may …

Sec. 6. In the discretion of the board any series of bonds hereunder may be secured by a trust indenture by and between the authority and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or outside of the state, but no such t…

Sec. 7. The authority shall properly construct, maintain, operate, repair, manage and control the bridge, except as hereinafter provided, and shall determine the rates of tolls and charges to be made for the services and facilities afforded thereby and may make and enter into all…

Sec. 8. The authority may accept from the United States of America and any department, agency or instrumentality thereof, and from the state of Michigan and any department, agency or instrumentality thereof, grants for or in aid of the construction of the bridge and may enter int…

Sec. 9. Nothing in this act shall be so construed or interpreted as to authorize or permit the incurring of indebtedness of the state of Michigan contrary to the provisions of the constitution of the state.

Sec. 10. This act shall be deemed to provide an additional and alternative method for the doing of the things herein authorized and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws.

Sec. 11. All things herein authorized to be done by the authority and the board and by the state highway department may be done without the securing of approval or consent from any other board, department, agency or officer, except as herein otherwise provided, and no proceedings…

Sec. 12. Except as provided in this section, all individuals or vehicles using the bridge shall pay tolls and charges established by the authority. The authority shall not charge tolls or charges to its own personnel or vehicles while the personnel are on duty or while the vehicl…

Sec. 13. The authority is authorized to do all things and perform all acts necessary to secure the consent, if necessary, of the United States government, to the construction and operation of the bridge and charging of tolls for its use, and to secure the approval of any departme…

Sec. 14. As used in this section and sections 14a to 14e: (a) "Corridor authority board" means the board of directors of the Mackinac Straits corridor authority appointed under section 14b. (b) "Mackinac Straits corridor authority" means the Mackinac Straits corridor authority cr…

Sec. 14a. (1) The Mackinac bridge authority may acquire, construct, operate, maintain, improve, repair, and manage a utility tunnel. The Mackinac bridge authority shall determine the rates charged for the services offered by the utility tunnel. The Mackinac bridge authority may e…

Sec. 14b. (1) The Mackinac Straits corridor authority is created within the state transportation department. The Mackinac Straits corridor authority is a state institution within the meaning of section 9 of article II of the state constitution of 1963, and an instrumentality of t…

Sec. 14c. (1) The straits protection fund is created within the state treasury. (2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the straits protection fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the straits protection fund. …

Sec. 14d. (1) All liabilities, duties, responsibilities, authorities, and powers related to a utility tunnel as provided in section 14a and any money in the straits protection fund shall transfer to the corridor authority board upon the appointment of the members of the corridor …

Sec. 14e. (1) Neither the Mackinac bridge authority nor the Mackinac Straits corridor authority may pay or obligate any money or assets related to the utility tunnel except money that is deposited into the straits protection fund or any escrow or reserve fund created under the tu…

Sec. 15. This act being deemed necessary to the public health, welfare, convenience and prosperity, it shall be liberally construed to effect the intents and purposes hereof.

Sec. 16. The state highway department shall transfer and deliver to the authority all contracts, books, maps, plans, papers and records or certified copies thereof, pertaining to the subjects and matters relating to the designing and construction of the bridge, and particularly a…

Sec. 17. It is hereby found, determined and declared that the creation of the authority and the carrying out of its corporate purposes are in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state and constitute a public purpose, and that the bridge is an essential part of the p…

Sec. 18. The state of Michigan hereby pledges to and agrees with the holders of the bonds that the state will not limit or alter the rights hereby vested in the authority to construct, maintain and operate the bridge and to establish and collect such charges and tolls as may be c…

Sec. 19. Any holder or holders of bonds, including a trustee or trustees for such holders, shall have the right in addition to all other remedies to bring suit by mandamus or other action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the authority and its officers and employees …

Sec. 20. The authority may, if it sees fit, at any time, when for any reason the bridge may be out of service, acquire through purchase, lease or otherwise and operate 1 or more ferries for the purpose of conveying passengers and freight between the upper and lower peninsulas, in…

Sec. 21. Insofar as the provisions of this act may be inconsistent with the provisions of any other act, general or special, the provisions of this act shall be controlling.

Sec. 22. (1) The authority may expend not more than $995,000.00 from funds under its jurisdiction to construct a building and lease it to the department of state police for use as a regional state police post. The building shall be located on authority owned property adjacent to …

Sec. 1. Bridges and culverts shall be considered in all respects as a part of the road upon which they are, or are proposed to be located. The construction, improvement, repair and maintenance thereof, including adequate approaches and the doing of any act or the performance of a…

Sec. 10. Upon receipt of such petition, the state highway commissioner shall set a day for hearing, which shall be not less than 10 nor more than 20 days thereafter, and shall give notice thereof to each township, city and village interested or to be affected by registered letter…

Sec. 11. The commissioner may adjourn the hearing from time to time in his discretion. He shall hear the parties and may make such independent investigation as he may deem desirable, and shall either grant or refuse the prayer of the petition. If he shall grant the same, he shall…

Sec. 12. The state highway commissioner shall also determine the quota or proportion which each township, city and village named shall contribute thereto, and whether the whole amount shall be raised the first year, or only a part, and, if only a part, what part the first and wha…

Sec. 13. A copy of the determination of the state highway commissioner shall be filed with the clerk of each township, city and village affected, and thereupon such bridge shall be constructed, rebuilt, repaired and maintained in accordance therewith. Each such township, city and…

Sec. 14. Whenever the boards of county road commissioners of adjoining counties are unable to agree on the apportionment of the costs of constructing, rebuilding, repairing or maintaining an inter-county bridge on a county road, either of such boards may petition the state highwa…

Sec. 15. The board of county road commissioners of any county bordering on a stream which is the boundary line between such county and a county in another state, is hereby authorized, in conjunction with the proper highway authorities of such adjoining county or state, to constru…

Sec. 17. The bridge specifications of the state highway department shall provide such requirements for load capacity, clearances, allowable unit stresses and loads, distributions, workmanship, impact and deterioration allowances as in the judgment of the state highway commissione…

Sec. 19. Hereafter no bridge shall be constructed which shall have a carrying capacity less than that specified by the bridge specifications of the state highway department, current at the time the work of construction is commenced, or which shall have a roadway width at the narr…

Sec. 19a. The state transportation department shall institute and implement a federally compliant and risk-based inspection plan for all bridges under its jurisdiction.

Sec. 20. Every bridge which has a clear 2-way roadway width of less than 19 feet, but more than 17 feet at the narrowest part thereof, shall be posted as a narrow bridge; and every bridge which has a clear 2-way roadway width, as so measured, of 17 feet or less, shall be posted a…

Sec. 21. All movable bridges shall be provided with warning lights, signs, protection gates and other devices as shall be prescribed by the state highway commissioner and as may be required by the board of supervisors in its permit for construction, which said lights, signs, prot…