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A.(1)  An authority shall have the power to make reasonable regulations, not inconsistent with rules and regulations promulgated by the federal government and the Department of Transportation and Development, for the installation, construction, maintenance, repair, renewal, relocation, and removal of any public utility, railroad, or pipeline company, in, on, along, over, or under a project.

(2)  Whenever  an authority shall determine that it is necessary that any public utility facilities which now are located in, on, along, over, or under a project should be relocated in such project, or should be removed from such project, or should be carried along or across the project by grade separation, the owner or operator of such facilities shall relocate or remove the same in accordance with the order of the authority; however, the cost and expenses of such relocation or removal or grade separation, including the cost of installing such facilities in a new location or new locations, and the cost of any land, or any rights or interest in lands, and any other rights acquired to accomplish such relocation or removal, and the cost of maintenance of grade separation structures, shall be paid by the authority as a part of the cost of operation of such project.

(3)  In case of any such relocation or removal of public utility facilities, the owners or operators of the same, their successors or assigns, may use and operate such public utility facilities, with the necessary appurtenances, in the new location or new locations, for as long a period, and upon the same terms and conditions, as they had the right to maintain and operate such public utility facilities in their former location or locations.

B.  Any utility allowed to exist on an authority’s right-of-way at the request of the utility pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 48:2029(6) shall be responsible for any cost of relocation, removal, or grade separation and all expenses related thereto.

Acts 1997, No. 1017, §1, eff. July 11, 1997.