Any person, firm, or corporation operating a railroad for the transportation of passengers, freight, or express, crossing at grade any street or road, shall construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, and repair that portion of the highway at such crossing and lying between the outside ends of the ties, and also that portion lying between the tracks, in the case of two or more tracks, and the cost and expense of this construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance, or repair shall be borne by said individual, firm, or corporation. Such construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance, or repair shall be done in accordance with plans, profiles, and specifications first approved by the director of transportation, in case of state highways or extensions thereof, or by the county engineer, in case of county and township roads or extension thereof.

Such individual, firm, or corporation, upon being notified by the director, in case of state highways or extensions thereof, or the engineer, in case of county or township roads or extensions thereof, that he has determined that it is necessary that such individual, firm, or corporation make such improvement, and being informed of the character thereof in a general way, shall, within thirty days from receiving such notice, which shall be served by the sheriff in the same manner as summons in civil action, prepare and submit to the director or engineer for his approval, detailed plans and specifications covering such improvement. The director or engineer may approve such plans and specifications as submitted, or he may change such plans and specifications and approve them as changed. Within thirty days after the approval of such plans by the director or engineer, such individual, firm, or corporation shall proceed to make such improvement, in accordance with the plans and specifications approved, and complete it in a reasonable time.

If such individual, firm, or corporation does not, within the time limited, prepare and submit for approval such plans and specifications, or proceed to make such improvement, or, having proceeded to make such improvement within the time limited, fail to complete the same within a reasonable time, or proceed to make such improvement not in accordance with the plans and specifications so approved, the director or engineer may enter upon and make such improvement in accordance with the plans and specifications so approved, or if plans and specifications have not been submitted and approved, then in accordance with plans and specifications prepared by the director or engineer.

The costs of making such improvement, including engineering and inspection, by the director or engineer, shall, in the first instance, be paid by the director or county out of any appropriation of the department of transportation or county available for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance, or repair of highways.

Upon the completion of such improvement, the director or engineer shall certify the amount of the costs, including engineering and inspection of such improvement, to the attorney general or prosecuting attorney, for collection by civil action. The director or engineer, in such certificate to the attorney general or prosecuting attorney, may set out the amount of the payments and the time of making the various payments as set out, as deemed reasonable by the director or engineer.

The prosecuting attorney or attorney general shall proceed to collect such costs and expenses, in accordance with the certificate of the director or engineer. Whenever a road or street is improved where a street, interurban, or other railroad or railway lies within the improved portion of the roadway, such railroad or railway grade shall, in all respects, be changed to meet the approval of the engineer, unless otherwise provided for in the grant or franchise by virtue of which such railway operates on or occupies said highway. Costs of such change shall be paid by the company, under the law or by the terms of its franchise or grant, shall be a lien upon the property of such company, and the proper authorities may provide for the payment of the amount chargeable against said company, under the law or by the terms of its franchise or grant, in installments as in the case of other property owners. Such installments shall bear interest as in other cases, and the board of county commissioners or other authorities may issue bonds in anticipation of the collection of such installments.

Effective Date: 09-28-1973 .