N.Y. Highway Law § 131-e: Bridges over county lines

§ 131-e. Bridges over county lines. The board shall provide for the

care, maintenance, preservation and repair of any draw or other bridge

intersecting the boundary line of counties or towns, which bridge is by

law a joint charge on such counties or towns, or on the towns in which

it is situated; and to severally apportion, as it may deem equitable,

the expenses thereof on the towns respectively liable therefor, or on

the respective counties when liable; but when such bridge shall span any

portion of the navigable tide-waters of this state, forming, at the

point of crossing, the boundary line between two counties, such expense

shall be a joint and equal charge upon the two counties in which the

bridge is situated, and the board of supervisors in each of such

counties shall apportion such expense among the several towns and cities

in their respective counties, or upon any or either of such towns and

cities, as in their judgment may seem proper; and if there be in either

of said counties, a city, the boundaries of which are the same as the

boundaries of the county, then it shall be the duty of the common

council of such city, to perform the duty hereby imposed upon the boards

of supervisors; but no town or city not immediately adjacent to such

waters at the points spanned by said bridge shall be liable for a larger

proportion of such expense than the taxable property of such town or

city bears to the whole amount of taxable property of such county. The

board of supervisors of such counties or, in any city embracing the

entire county and having no board of supervisors, the common council,

shall have full control of such bridges. No such bridge shall be

constructed unless the board of supervisors in each of such counties,

and the common council of the city whose boundaries are the same as the

boundary of the other county adjacent to such waters, shall first by

resolution determine that such bridge is necessary for public

convenience. Whenever any bridge now spanning any such navigable

tide-waters or hereafter erected across any such navigable tide-waters,

shall be condemned by the United States authorities as an obstruction to

navigation, and shall be ordered removed, the county and city

authorities having charge of such bridge, if they shall determine that

such bridge shall be rebuilt, shall, as soon as practicable after such

determination, cause plans to be prepared for the erection of the new

bridge and the removal of any bridge so condemned as aforesaid, and

within a reasonable time after the approval of any such plans by the

United States authorities, the proper officers shall proceed with the

construction of said new bridge. In case of any unreasonable delay on

the part of the officer or officers charged with the duty of

construction of such new bridge, such duty may be enforced by mandamus

upon the application of any citizen interested in its performance.