Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §1001, as amended by PL 1999, c. 473, Pt. C, §5, is further amended to read:

§1001. Maintenance and snow removal on state highways and

state aid highways

Improved state highways shall must be continually maintained, and the snow removed from such sections of designated state highways as the department may determine, under the direction and control of the department at the expense of the State. The department shall remove snow from state aid highways at the expense of the State.

The snow removal work shall must include the plowing of these improved state highways and state aid highways, the erection, maintenance, dismantling and rental of snow fences, and the sanding of icy road surfaces. It shall does not include loading and hauling snow from any compact section. The State shall is not be liable for accidents while the road surface is covered with snow and ice.

To carry out the preceding paragraph purposes of this section the department is authorized to hire equipment, preferably town owned town-owned, arrange contracts and erect or hire buildings for storage purposes. Purchases of necessary equipment or materials shall must be made as provided in section 52.

The maintenance provisions of this section and sections 705, 751, 1003 and 1005-A do not apply to compact areas of urban compact municipalities as defined in section 754.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to provide winter maintenance on state aid highways at the expense of the State.