Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That in all cases where public roads, or parts thereof, in townships of this Commonwealth, connecting a city with a city, a city with a borough, or a borough with a borough, or connecting one part of a city with another part of the same city, shall have become inconvenient and burdensome, and shall require altering and widening, or either altering or widening, to meet the requirements of public travel thereon, it shall be lawful for the court of quarter sessions, by the same process now provided for opening and laying out public roads, to alter and widen, or either alter or widen, such roads, vacating such part or parts of the said old roads as are rendered useless by such alteration: Provided, That upon a petition, the width of the road so widened shall be fixed by the court, on recommendation of the viewers, and damages, taking into account benefits conferred, shall be awarded and paid according to the provisions of the act of June thirteenth, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, and its supplements: Provided further, That in addition to the powers conferred upon the viewers by this act, they are hereby authorized and shall assess the cost of such widening and altering, or either widening or altering, of such road to the respective cities and boroughs, or city and borough and townships, or township, as the case may be, in such proportion as to them may seem equitable and just, taking into consideration benefits derived by such widening and altering, or either widening or altering, to the cities or borough, or city and borough and townships, or township, connected by and through which said such road may pass; and in case such widening or altering, or either, is made necessary in part by the use of such road by a corporation, or corporations, then the viewers shall have further power to assess such corporation, or corporations, such part of the cost of widening and altering, or either, as the viewers may agree is just and reasonable.
(1 amended Jun. 1, 1907, P.L.372, No.267)