Any utility which is required to move or relocate its facilities under this section from or in any way because of construction needs in building the interstate system under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 on projects for which the contracts are signed after August 28, 1957 shall be reimbursed for the cost of relocation of such facilities as said cost is defined in said Federal-Aid Highway Act. The department may make rules and regulations for the determination of such cost in conformity with applicable federal rules and regulations under said Act. The department shall have such rights to inspect the books of account of the utility as may be required in determining the reimbursable costs provided in this section. [PL 1971, c. 593, §22 (AMD).] Whenever the department shall determine that any utility facility which now is, or hereafter may be, located in, over, along or under any way should be moved or relocated because of construction needs in building said interstate system, the utility owning or operating such facility shall relocate or move the same in accordance with an order of the department. If the failure of the utility to move such facility within the time specified in such order should delay the work of the contractor on the project involved, the utility shall be liable to the State for the damages that the State may be required to allow to the contractor under the contract between the State and the contractor for delay in the work caused by the presence of the facility. The utility shall not be liable for such damages if its failure to move shall be for reasons beyond its control. If the department and the utility shall not agree as to the liability of the utility for such damages, either party may appeal to the Superior Court for a determination thereof. Such liability shall not exceed such reimbursable costs as may be determined by the preceding paragraph. [PL 1971, c. 593, §22 (AMD).] "Utility," as used in this section, means and includes any public utility under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission and any corporation which owns and operates a telephone or telegraph system or an oil pipe line system and which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission or Interstate Commerce Commission and any municipality or any quasi-municipal body operating a utility service such as a fire or police alarm line, street lighting, sewerage or water pipes and any rural electrification cooperative which is subject to Title 35-A, chapter 37, subchapters I, II and III. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. B, §17 (AMD).] The reimbursable costs provided in this section shall be paid from the General Highway Fund operating capital under the direction of the department, and said General Highway Fund operating capital shall be repaid in full for any costs so paid from reimbursements received by the department from the Federal Government on account thereof. At no time shall the amount paid from the general fund operating capital for the purposes of this section exceed the amount of the 90% federal funds to be available for projects in said interstate system under Title 23, United States Code, § 123 to match the state appropriation made for the pertinent biennium. Any appropriation so made, which shall be expended under the direction of the department, shall apply to projects in said interstate system for which contracts are signed prior to June 30th of the 2nd year of said biennium and to the extent of such contracts shall be carried forward and not lapse. [PL 1977, c. 380, Pt. B, §5 (AMD).]
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