Pub. L. 86-645, tit. II, sec. 207

Sec. 207. (a) That whenever, in connection with the construction of any authorized flood control, navigation or multiple-purpose project for the development of water resources, the Chief of Engineers, under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, determines it to be in the public interest to utilize existing public roads as a means of providing access to such projects during construction, he may, at his discretion, improve, reconstruct and maintain such roads and he may contract with the local authority having jurisdiction over the roads to accomplish the necessary work. The accomplishment of such work may be carried out with or without obtaining any interest in the land on which the road is located in accordance with mutual agreement between the parties: Provided, (1) That the Chief of Engineers determines that such work would result in a saving in Federal cost as opposed to the cost of providing a new access road at Federal expense, 74 Stat. 501(2) That, at the completion of construction, the Chief of Engineers will, if necessary, restore the road to at least as good condition as prior to the beginning of utilization for access during construction, and (3) That, at the completion of construction, the responsibility of the Chief of Engineers for improvement, reconstruction and maintenance shall cease. (b) That, for such water resources projects, under construction or to be constructed, when the taking by the Federal Government of an existing public road necessitates replacement, the substitute provided will as nearly as practicable serve in the same manner and reasonably as well as the existing road. The Chief of Engineers is authorized to construct such substitute roads to design standards comparable to those of the State in which the road is located, for roads of the same classification as the road being replaced. The traffic existing at the time of the taking shall be used in the determination of the classification.