2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 13b-251. (Formerly Sec. 16-82a). Overhead clearances for railroad tracks. Approval by legislature.
Sec. 13b-251. (Formerly Sec. 16-82a). Overhead clearances for railroad
tracks. Approval by legislature. (a) The minimum overhead clearance for any structure
crossing over railroad tracks for which construction is begun on or after October 1, 1986,
shall be twenty feet, six inches, except that, (1) if the construction includes only deck
replacement or minor widening of the structure, and the existing piers or abutments
remain in place, the minimum overhead clearance shall be the structure's existing overhead clearance; (2) the minimum overhead clearance for any structure crossing any
railroad tracks on which trains are operated that are attached to or powered by means of
overhead electrical wires shall be twenty-two feet, six inches; (3) the minimum overhead
clearance for the structure that carries (A) Route 372 over railroad tracks in New Britain,
designated state project number 131-156, (B) U.S. Route 1 over railroad tracks in Fairfield, designated state project number 50-6H05, (C) Route 729 over railroad tracks in
North Haven, designated state project number 100-149, (D) Grove Street over railroad
tracks in Hartford, designated state project number 63-376, (E) Route 1 over railroad
tracks in Milford, designated state project number 173-117, (F) Ingham Hill Road over
railroad tracks in Old Saybrook, designated state project number 105-164, (G) Ellis
Street over railroad tracks in New Britain, designated state project number 88-114, (H)
Route 100 over the railroad tracks in East Haven, bridge number 01294, and (I) Church
Street Extension over certain railroad storage tracks located in the New Haven Rail
Yard, designated state project number 92-526, shall be eighteen feet; (4) the minimum
overhead clearance for those structures carrying (A) Fair Street, bridge number 03870,
(B) Crown Street, bridge number 03871, and (C) Chapel Street, bridge number 03872,
over railroad tracks in New Haven shall be seventeen feet, six inches; (5) the minimum
overhead clearance for the structure carrying State Street railroad station pedestrian
bridge over railroad tracks in New Haven shall be nineteen feet, ten inches; (6) the
overhead clearance for the structure carrying Woodland Street over the Griffins Industrial Line in Hartford, designated state project number 63-501, shall be fifteen feet, nine
inches, with new foundations placed at depths which may accommodate an overhead
clearance to a maximum of seventeen feet, eight inches; (7) the Department of Transportation may replace the Hales Road Highway Bridge over railroad tracks in Westport,
Bridge Number 03852, with a new bridge that provides a minimum overhead clearance
over the railroad tracks that shall be eighteen feet, five inches; and (8) the Department
of Transportation may replace the Pearl Street Highway Bridge over railroad tracks in
Middletown, Bridge Number 04032, with a new bridge that provides a minimum overhead clearance over the railroad tracks that shall be seventeen feet, eleven inches.
(c) Any proposed legislation which grants an exemption from the minimum overhead clearance requirements in subsection (a) of this section shall be accompanied by a written statement from the Department of Transportation which shall include the following information: (1) The impacts associated with raising the bridge to meet the clearance requirements; (2) the estimated cost of raising the bridge to meet the clearance requirements; and (3) an assessment, including the estimated cost, of the feasibility of increasing the clearance by undercutting at least one track of the railroad or by a combination of undercutting and raising the bridge to meet the clearance requirements.
(P.A. 78-28, S. 1; P.A. 83-68, S. 1; P.A. 86-344, S. 1, 3; 86-403, S. 126, 132; P.A. 87-218; P.A. 88-364, S. 23, 123; P.A. 89-59; P.A. 90-230, S. 81, 101; P.A. 99-181, S. 16; P.A. 00-148, S. 10; P.A. 01-105, S. 6, 45; P.A. 03-115, S. 68, 69.)
History: In 1981 Sec. 16-82a transferred to Sec. 13b-251; P.A. 83-68 amended Subsec. (a) to allow certain construction work beginning after the commissioner submits the railroad lines overhead clearances report required under section 2 of the act, which is not codified, to be done without raising the structure's minimum overhead clearance beyond its existing overhead clearance and amended Subsec. (b) to define "deck replacement"; P.A. 86-344 provided that the minimum height for structures which are built over railroad tracks on or after October 1, 1986, shall be twenty feet, except that minor widening or deck replacement may be done at a structure's existing height, required the minimum height of structures crossing tracks over which trains are operated by means of overhead wires to be twenty-two feet, six inches and provided exceptions for existing state projects; P.A. 86-403 amended Subsec. (a) by changing state project number "50-6H13" to "50-6H05"; P.A. 87-218 amended Subsec. (a) by adding state project number 88-114 to the exemptions to the minimum height requirement and amended Subsec. (b) by defining "deck replacement"; P.A. 88-364 in Subsec. (b) corrected the word "place" to read "plane"; P.A. 89-59 added Subpara. (H) to Subdiv. (3) re the exemptions for Route 100 of minimum height requirements, added Subdiv. (4) providing certain bridges with minimum height exemption of seventeen feet, six inches and added a new Subsec. (c) re approval of exemption from the minimum height requirements; P.A. 90-230 made technical change in Subsec. (c); P.A. 99-181 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision making the subsection applicable to construction begun on or after October 1, 1986, adding Subpara. (I) to Subdiv. (3) exempting Church Street Extension from minimum overhead clearance requirements, adding Subdiv. (5) re overhead clearance for the structure carrying Woodland Street over the Griffins Industrial Line and making technical changes; P.A. 00-148 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes, by reinstating provision that minimum overhead clearances in this section apply only to structures crossing over railroad tracks for which construction is begun on or after October 1, 1986, by adding new Subdiv. (5) requiring the minimum overhead clearance for the structure over railroad tracks in New Haven, and by redesignating former Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6); P.A. 01-105 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (7) re the Hales Road Highway Bridge, effective June 20, 2001; P.A. 03-115 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (8) re the Pearl Street Highway Bridge in Middletown, effective June 18, 2003, and amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change.
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