Section 5501.44 - Cooperative agreements for repair of bridges and regional traffic management systems(A)(1) Notwithstanding section 5735.27 of the Revised Code, the director of transportation, when the director determines it in the interest of the welfare and safety of the citizens of Ohio, may enter into agreements with other states or subdivisions thereof or the United States relative to the cooperation in the repair, maintenance, or construction of a bridge crossing a stream that forms a boundary line of this state, and may expend state highway funds for said purpose. Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, no such agreement shall be made that obligates this state to expend more than the cost of the construction of such portion of said bridge as is located within the state, and not more than fifty per cent of the cost of maintenance of any such bridge, and no such agreement shall be made that obligates the state in excess of three hundred thousand dollars in any one year for maintenance.
(2) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, the director may expend funds for the design, construction, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of bridge and bridge approaches for the bridge that were transferred from the Ohio bridge commission to the control of the state of Ohio, department of transportation, as provided in Section 4 of Amended Substitute House Bill No. 98 of the 114th general assembly. Following the replacement of that bridge, the director may expend funds for the design, construction, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of bridge and bridge approaches.(3) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, the director may enter into an agreement with another state for the replacement, improvement, rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance of a bridge or system of bridges at one location that carries two interstate highways over the Ohio river to another state, and the replacement, improvement, rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance of roadways providing for ingress to and egress from that bridge or system of bridges. However, no such agreement shall obligate this state to expend more than fifty per cent of the total project costs.(4) Any agreement that is entered into under this section shall be approved by the governor and attorney general of the state before it becomes effective.(5) Each agreement entered into shall designate responsibility for inspection, provide for annual inspection, and require that a report of each inspection be filed with the department of transportation. The director, with regard to all existing bridges or other bridges on a stream that forms a boundary line of this state, shall take all reasonable measures to obtain and to secure the filing of a copy of each inspection report for each bridge with the department of transportation.(6) The department, upon hearing that a bridge across the Ohio river is scheduled to be closed by a contiguous state, shall make all reasonable efforts to notify the Ohio residents likely to be adversely affected by that closing. The department also shall cooperate and communicate with contiguous states in trying to resolve bridge closing problems.(B)(1) The director, when the director considers it in the interest of the welfare and safety of the citizens of Ohio, may enter into agreements with other states, subdivisions thereof, metropolitan planning organizations, or the United States, relative to the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of a regional traffic management system, and may expend state and federal highway funds for such purposes, notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code.(2) No such agreement shall be made that obligates this state to expend more than the cost of construction of such portion of a regional traffic management system as is located within the state, and not more than a proportional amount, based upon the system presence in this state, for costs of design, operation, maintenance, and repair.(3) Any such agreements shall be approved by the governor and attorney general of the state before they become effective.(4) As used in division (B) of this section, "regional traffic management system" means an integrated, high-technology system to provide remote control center surveillance and monitoring of the regional freeways and main arterial routes in order to reduce and eliminate major backups and delays to motorists in the area.Amended by 130th General Assembly, HB 533,§1, eff. 9/11/2014.Amended by 129th General Assembly, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.Effective Date: 06-30-1993 .