Public Law 72–362

That section 5 of

Bridges.

Act authorizing the construction of designated, by West Virginia, amended.

an Act entitled “An Act authorizing the State of West Virginia by and through the West Virginia Bridge Commission, or the successors of said commission, to acquire, purchase, construct, improve, maintain, and operate bridges across the streams and rivers within said

Vol. 46, p. 1500.

State and/or across boundary-line streams or rivers of said State,” approved March 3, 1931, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 5.

The State of West

Grouping of intrastate bridges for financing purposes, authorized.

Virginia Bridge Commission, or its successors, may unite or group all or such of said intrastate bridges into one or more separate projects for financing purposes as in its judgment shall be deemed practicable, and may also unite or group for financing purposes in any one issue of bonds such interstate bridges as the West Virginia Bridge Commission shall determine to be competitive, but no particular project or group shall be so united that any such project or group will include both interstate and intrastate bridges: Provided, however, That the bridges herein authorized to be acquired across the Ohio River from the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, to an island in the Ohio River, constituting territory of the State of West Virginia, may be included in the same group or groups as the respective connecting bridges from such island to a point in Ohio shall be included, and when sufficient revenues shall have been determined to be available from the collection of tolls on the bridges terminating in the State of Ohio to pay interest and maintenance charges and to provide a sinking fund ample to retire the bonds at maturity as issued for the acquirement of all said bridges, the commission is authorized to make free of tolls the bridges between the city of Wheeling proper and Wheeling Island.

Tolls adjusted to maintenance, amortizing costs, etc.

“If tolls are charged for the use of a bridge or bridges in a project, the rates of toll to be charged for the use of such bridge or bridges embraced in the particular project shall be so adjusted as to provide a fund not to exceed an amount sufficient to pay the reasonable cost of maintaining, repairing, and operating the bridge or all of the bridges included in the particular project and their approaches under economical management, and not to exceed an amount sufficient in addition to the foregoing, to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the aggregate cost of the bridge or all of the bridges embraced in the particular project, and their approaches, including reasonable interest and financing costs, as soon as possible under reasonable charges, but within a period not exceeding twenty-five

Tolls to continue until costs amortized.

years from the date of approval of this Act. The tolls derived from the bridge or bridges embraced in any particular project may be continued and paid into the appropriate sinking fund until all such costs of the bridges embraced in the particular project shall

Adjustment in rates.

have been amortized. In any event tolls may be charged on the basis aforesaid for transit over the bridge or bridges in each project for which revenue bonds of said State are issued, and such tolls may be continued and adjusted at such rates as may be necessary to pay such bonds with interest thereon and any lawful premium for the retirement thereof before maturity, subject only to the power of the Secretary of War or other authorized Federal authority to regulate such rates.”

#