Pennsylvania Statutes Title 16 P.S. Counties § 2601. Authority to provide bridges, viaducts and culverts; definitions; application of article

(a) The commissioners of any county may locate, lay out, open, construct, reconstruct, widen, straighten, extend, otherwise alter, replace, remove and in all other respects provide for bridges and viaducts over streams and other topographical impediments to public traffic, as parts or adjuncts of the roads within the county for vehicles and pedestrians or for pedestrians only, and culverts within the county or partly within and partly without the county, in accordance with this article. The provisions of this article shall apply equally to all necessary approaches, abutments, slopes, walls, embankments, fills, piers and other things pertaining to bridges, viaducts and culverts as to the bridges, viaducts and culverts themselves.

(b) As used in this article “streams” include streams, rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes and all other such natural waters; “road” includes roads, streets, highways, lanes, alleys and all other such public thoroughfares; and “bridge” shall for the purpose of convenience include the bridges, provided for in this article, and also the viaducts and culverts and all things pertaining to such bridges, viaducts and culverts wherever such meanings may reasonably be intended.

(c) The provisions of this article shall not apply to any matters relating to such county bridges, viaducts or culverts to the extent they are covered by the provisions of the State Highway Law, or of any other law vesting in the Secretary or Department of Transportation and the various counties of the Commonwealth, rights, powers and duties. The terms of the foregoing limitation shall apply as well in the case of the Public Utility Law and the Public Utility Commission.

(d) No county of the third through eighth class shall, in the exercise of any authority or duty conferred in this article, enter upon any road or property of any city or borough of, or adjacent to the county, or act in derogation of the lawful authority of any such political subdivision, except with the proper consent of such political subdivision.

(e) No bridge provided for by this article shall obstruct any canal or railroad, and nothing in this article shall be deemed to release any railroad or other public utility from the requirements of existing law.