(a) The county commission of each county is invested with authority to purchase or establish toll bridges, free bridges, causeways, and ferries or free ferries within their respective jurisdictions as provided in this article and may levy a special tax to purchase or build the bridges and causeways when, in the opinion of the county commission, the public good requires it.
Terms Used In Alabama Code 23-1-81
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) The county commission of each county may also license any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, or any other legal entity to establish or to operate toll roads, toll bridges, ferries, or causeways and authorize the licensee to establish and fix the rates of toll. Toll roads and toll bridges that are licensed by a county and which are on or over the line between any two counties shall be licensed by both counties.(c) The State Department of Transportation may license any individual, groups of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, or any other legal entity to establish or operate toll roads, toll bridges, ferries, or causeways and authorize the licensee to establish and fix the rates of toll.(d) After a license is issued pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) by a county commission or the State Department of Transportation, no further license of any type from any governmental body or agency, including, but not limited to, a business license, shall be required to construct, own, or operate the toll road or the toll bridge, ferry, or causeway and no further license, tax, or fee may be imposed by any governmental body or agency.(e) No toll bridge shall be established over the same watercourse within two miles of any other toll bridge.(f) Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to limit the authority of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to grant easements and licenses with respect to the placement of bridges on state land.
