11 Pa.C.S. Ch. 131

in effect

11 Pa.C.S. § 13101 Construction and maintenance of bridges.

(a) General rule.--Cities may locate, build and maintain bridges, wholly or partially within the city limits, along with the piers, abutments and approaches appurtenant to the bridges, to be used as public streets. (b) Definition.--As used in this chapter, the term "bridge" shall mean a structure built to span and provide passage over a valley, road, railroad track, private property, river, creek, stream or any other body of water or physical obstacle and shall include viaducts constructed from a series of spans or arches.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13102 Ordinance for location of bridges.

(a) General rule.--Cities may enact ordinances fixing the location and providing for the laying out and opening of the routes or locations for bridges, which shall be public streets. (b) Procedure.--The procedure for the laying out and opening of the routes or locations of bridges shall be the same as is provided by this chapter for the laying out and opening of streets.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13103 Right to appropriate property.

(a) Failure to agree on damages.--A city that has not agreed with an owner regarding damages done, or likely to be done, by the erection of the bridge may take and appropriate the lands and property necessary to erect the bridge. (b) Assessment of damages.--The measure of damages for the taking and appropriation shall be assessed in the same manner and with like proceedings as provided for property taken, injured or destroyed under 26 Pa.C.S. (relating to eminent domain).

11 Pa.C.S. § 13110 Agreement for joint construction and maintenance.

(a) General rule.--The city may enter into an agreement with any political subdivision, public agency, public utility or any other person interested and by law authorized to enter into an agreement, or with any or all of them, for the laying out, construction, improvement and maintenance of any bridge and for the payment of any damages caused by the action. (b) Requirements of agreement.--An agreement authorized under subsection (a) shall provide for the following: (1) Respective duties, obligations and responsibilities of the parties to the agreement, including construction and maintenance of the bridge. (2) Payments relating to and damages caused by the construction and maintenance. (c) Contract.--After an agreement authorized under subsection (a) has been entered into, the city and the other parties to the agreement shall have the authority to do the following: (1) Prepare plans or specifications of the entire work. (2) Advertise for bids in the manner required by law. (3) Award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. (d) Liability.--The city shall be liable to the contractor for only the part of the contract price as it has agreed to pay by the agreement under subsection (a), but it shall, in addition, be liable to the contractor for any money actually paid into the city treasury by the other parties pursuant to the terms of the agreement.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13114 Recording of contract.

Any of the contracts provided for under this chapter may be recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds in the proper county. The record shall be notice to all persons who might be affected by the contract.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13115 Power to construct boundary bridges.

Whenever a creek over which a bridge may be necessary shall be on the division line of a city and another municipality, the city may enter into an intergovernmental agreement pursuant to 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 23 Subch. A (relating to intergovernmental cooperation) with the municipality for the construction and maintenance of a bridge and for apportionment of the costs.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13135 Acquisition of existing bridges.

(a) General rule.--A city may purchase, condemn, maintain and use any public toll bridge crossing any river or stream within the limits of the municipality, together with the approaches and appurtenances to the toll bridge. (b) Cost.--A city may enter into contracts with the county commissioners or the legislative body in a county that has adopted a home rule charter of the proper county for the county to pay a portion of the cost of purchase, condemnation and maintenance.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=11Fetched: 10/16/2026