Sec. 370.176.  ACTIONS AFFECTING EXISTING ROADS.  (a)  An authority may impose a toll for transit over an existing free road, street, or public highway transferred to the authority under this chapter.
(b)  An authority may construct a grade separation at an intersection of a transportation project with a railroad or highway and change the line or grade of a highway to accommodate the design of the grade separation.  The action may not affect a segment of the state highway system without the department's consent.  The authority shall pay the cost of a grade separation and any damage incurred in changing a line or grade of a railroad or highway as part of the cost of the transportation project.
(c)  If feasible, an authority shall provide access to properties previously abutting a county road or other public road that is taken for a transportation project and shall pay abutting property owners the expenses or any resulting damages for a denial of access to the road.
(d)  If an authority changes the location of a segment of a county road as part of its development of a transportation project, the authority shall, on the request of the county, reconstruct that segment of the road at a location that the authority determines, in its discretion, restores the utility of the road.  The reconstruction and its associated costs are in furtherance of a transportation project.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1325, Sec. 2.01, eff. June 21, 2003.