Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-06
Amendments To
The Bridge Law
To Take Effect

Some important amendments to
the existing law providing State and
county aid to towns in the construc-
ton or reconstruction of bridges,
which were passed at the last session
of the Legislature, will be operative
at midnight Saturday.
Since December, 1916, when the
present law went into effect, 147
bridges have been completed or are
row under construction. From time to
time amendments have made the law
more workable, and have reduced the
percentage of the cost Of the work to
be paid by towns of low valuation.
The principal changes contained in
Chapter 1913 of the public laws OF
1923 are as follows:
The survey and survey plan Of the
bridge site are to be made by the
State highway commission and the
cost charged to the joint fund for
the construction of the bridge,
whereas before the town furnished
the survey plan at its own expense.
In addition to the small reduction IN
cost to the town, the principal benefit
Of this provision will Re that the sur
vey win be made by an engineer IA
miliar with the work, and that the
information necessary for consider
alton of the conditions involved and
for preparation of the estimate will
be secured.
Each component part Of the Joint
board instead Of each person present
will have one vote on each question
arising in meetings. This will work
to advantage and tend to fairer re-
suits in voting, especially where the
full board Of county commissioners,
municipal officers or the state high
way commission are unable to be
present at a meeting, or in the case
of a bridge located in city. where
the term municipal officers" includes
a larger number of persons than
compose the other boards entitled to
vote.
The division Of cost is changed so
that the towns portion varies from
As to Is percent, instead of from SO to
20 percent, depending on the ratio of
the cost of the bridge to the valu-
alton of the town. This is Of as
sistance to towns having low valu-
alton but with a large number of
bridges. This percentage varies by
steps Of one-tenth Of one percent in
stead Of five percent This feature
of the old law was very unsatisfac-
| tory as in many cases where the
final cost Of the bridge was less than
the preliminary estimate, the towns
percentage increased so that the
actual amount paid by the town was
larger than it would have been for
bridge Of higher cost. Similarly, the
cost of the bridge could be three or
four amounts, often thousands of
dollars apart. and the town would
pay exactly the same.
The county commissioners may
distribute the portion Of the cost of
bridge to be paid by an unorganized
township over a period not exceed
ing five years, instead of assessing
the entire amount in one year, as
was required before.
The highway commission is re-
quired to erect caution signs at each
end Of the construction work when
ever traffic is taken over or around
bridge site temporarily.
In addition to these changes there
are other sections which make more
definite and clear the intention of
the law with regard to certain phases
Of the work. These are as follows:
If two or more bridges in the same
town are built simultaneously or
nearly so, the percentage to be paid