§ 1512 -   Utility relocations

§ 1512. Utility relocations

(a) When relocation of a utility is required by a project for the improvement, construction or reconstruction of a highway under the provisions of this chapter, the agency or a municipality, or both, may pay for some or all of the cost of the relocation.

(b) The agency, following the procedures set forth in 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, shall adopt rules setting standards for determining when and to what extent the authority granted by subsection (a) of this section may be exercised. These standards shall take into account the following:

(1) the extra cost, if any, to a utility of adjusting its relocation plan to accommodate special requirements of the highway project, for example, the cost of an underground installation as compared to a standard aerial installation;

(2) in the case of a project on a town highway, the willingness of the affected municipality to contribute toward the nonfederal share of special utility relocation features;

(3) the proximity of historic sites and areas of unusual scenic beauty, highway safety and other factors inconsistent with a standard aerial installation; and

(4) the overall effect on the state's transportation capital program of using available highway construction funds for utility relocation purposes. (Added 1991, No. 35, § 1a, eff. May 18, 1991.)