79 Powers of roads authorities and bridge owners to enter into agreements.S
(1)Without prejudice to section 14(1) of this Act, the roads authority may agree with the owner of a bridge—
(a)for the payment by the authority of contributions towards the cost of the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of the bridge, or the road carried thereby, or the approaches thereto;
(b)for the transfer to the authority of the responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of the road carried by the bridge or the approaches thereto;
(c)that the bridge, or the road carried thereby, or the approaches to the bridge, shall heritably vest in the authority;
and it shall be lawful for the owner of the bridge, notwithstanding that the bridge was constructed under statutory powers, to enter into and carry into effect any such agreement.
(2)Where any such agreement provides for the transfer to the roads authority of any rights or obligations attaching to a bridge, then, as from the date of the transfer, it shall be lawful for the authority to exercise the rights, and they shall, to the exclusion of the owner, be subject to the obligations so transferred.