Volume 50 · 746
Public Law 75–738
Authorizing State Highway Commission of Arkansas and State Highway Commission of Mississippi to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas, and to a place at or near Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi.
Approved August 23, 1937
Statutory text
AN ACT
Authorizing State Highway Commission of Arkansas and State Highway Commission of Mississippi to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas, and to a place at or near Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That in order to
Mississippi River.
Bridge authorized across. Lake Village, Ark., to Greenville, Miss.
promote interstate commerce, improve the postal service, and provide for military and other purposes, the Arkansas State Highway Commission and Mississippi State Highway Commission, cooperating with equal powers, be, and are hereby, authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Mississippi River, at a point suitable to the interests of navigation, at or near Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas, and to a place at or near Greenville, Washington County. Mississippi, in accordance with the provisions of the Act entitled, “An Act to regulate the construction
Construction.
of bridges over navigable waters”, approved March 23, 1906, and subject to the conditions and limitations contained in this Act.
Sec. 2.
There is hereby conferred upon Arkansas State Highway
Acquisition of approaches, etc.
Commission and Mississippi State Highway Commission all such rights and powers to enter upon lands and to acquire, condemn, occupy, possess, and use real estate and other property needed for the location, construction, maintenance, and operation of such bridge and its approaches as are possessed by railroad corporations for railroad purposes or by bridge corporations for bridge purposes in the State in which such real estate or other property is situated, upon making just compensation therefor, to be ascertained and paid according to the laws of such State, and the proceedings therefor
Condemnation proceedings.
shall be the same as in the condemnation or expropriation of property for public purposes in such State.
Sec. 3.
The State Highway Commission of Arkansas and State
Tolls.
Highway Commission of Mississippi are hereby authorized to fix and charge tolls for transit over such bridge, and the rates of toll so fixed shall be the legal rates until changed by the Secretary of War under the authority contained in the Act of March 23, 1906.
Sec. 4.
In fixing the rates of toll to be charged for the use of such bridge the same shall be so adjusted as to provide a fund sufficient to pay for the reasonable cost of maintaining, repairing, and operating the bridge and its approaches under economical management, and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to amortize the cost of such bridge and its approaches, including reasonable interest and financing cost, as soon as possible, under reasonable charges, but within a
Maintenance as free bridge,etc., after amortizing costs.
period of not to exceed 25 years from the completion thereof. After a sinking fund sufficient for such amortization shall have been so provided, such bridge shall thereafter be maintained and operated
Record of expenses and receipts.
free of tolls. An accurate record of the cost of the bridge and its approaches, the expenditures for maintaining, repairing, and operating the same, and of the daily tolls collected shall be kept and shall be available for the information of all persons interested.
Sec. 5.
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved.
Approved, August 23, 1937.