Artificial canals and road safety

Owners and users of artificial canals located near roads must take all necessary technical measures to prevent water from flowing onto the roadway or damaging the road and its appurtenances. It is essential to avoid any water infiltration or flow that could endanger traffic safety.

If there are road structures (such as bridges or crossings) over these canals, their maintenance and reconstruction are generally the responsibility of the canal owners or users, unless they can prove that the structures existed before the road or have a different legal entitlement.

Wooden structures crossing the road must, when rebuilt, be replaced with safer and more durable materials such as reinforced concrete, steel, or mixed structures, according to the technical requirements of the road authority. This ensures they can support the loads required by the road.

The replacement of old structures is mandatory and at the expense of the canal owners or users, especially when the road is widened or moved, or when existing structures are considered unsafe.

Maintenance of the new structures also remains their responsibility. However, if a structure must be enlarged to allow road widening, the cost of the enlargement is borne by the road authority, while maintenance remains with the private parties.

Anyone who violates these rules is subject to an administrative fine. For the theory exam, it is important to remember that artificial canals near roads must not create hazards and that responsibility mainly lies with their owners and users.