{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-363.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-363.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-363.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-363.html"}],"law_id":82890,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82890,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-363","catch_line":"Crossing of a railroad or public highway by another railroad; crossing of a railroad by a public highway","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 3972; 1996, cc. 114, 157.","full_text":"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossings of one railroad by another, or a public highway by a railroad, or a railroad by a public highway, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above or below the existing facility. And every railroad hereafter constructed across another railroad or across a public highway, and every public highway hereafter constructed across a railroad, shall, wherever it is reasonably practicable, and does not involve an unreasonable expense, all the circumstances of the case considered, pass above or beneath the existing structure at a sufficient elevation or depression, as the case may be, with easy grades, so as to admit of safe speedy travel over each.\n\t\tIf constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure is not practical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governing body constructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for the safe movement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit the number of new public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessary crossings.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":297103,"text":"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossings of one railroad by another, or a public highway by a railroad, or a railroad by a public highway, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above or below the existing facility. And every railroad hereafter constructed across another railroad or across a public highway, and every public highway hereafter constructed across a railroad, shall, wherever it is reasonably practicable, and does not involve an unreasonable expense, all the circumstances of the case considered, pass above or beneath the existing structure at a sufficient elevation or depression, as the case may be, with easy grades, so as to admit of safe speedy travel over each.\n\t\tIf constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure is not practical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governing body constructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for the safe movement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit the number of new public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessary crossings.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14514,"edition_id":1,"name":"Extensions; Connections; Crossing Other Railroads, Roads, Etc","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12995,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:28","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:28","permalink":{"id":249517,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14514,"identifier":"3","token":"56\/13\/3","url":"\/56\/13\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12995,"edition_id":1,"name":"Railroad Corporations","identifier":"13","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:07","permalink":{"id":249439,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12995,"identifier":"13","token":"56\/13","url":"\/56\/13\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73803,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-355","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-355\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-355","metadata":false},{"id":71792,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-355.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-355.1\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-355.1","metadata":false},{"id":80230,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-355.2","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/56-355.2\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-355.2","metadata":false},{"id":85580,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-356","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-356\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-356","metadata":false},{"id":81206,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-359","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-359\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-359","metadata":false},{"id":55941,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-362","catch_line":"Right of railroad to cross watercourse, intervening railroad, etc","url":"\/56-362\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-362","metadata":false},{"id":82890,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-363","catch_line":"Crossing of a railroad or public highway by another railroad; crossing of a railroad by a public highway","url":"\/56-363\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-363","metadata":false},{"id":60556,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-364","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-364\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-364","metadata":false},{"id":61646,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-365.1","catch_line":"Closing and or consolidation of grade crossings","url":"\/56-365.1\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-365.1","metadata":false},{"id":68589,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-366","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-366\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-366","metadata":false},{"id":78694,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-366.1","catch_line":"Proceedings to avoid or eliminate grade crossings by grade separation or to widen, strengthen, remodel, relocate or replace existing crossing structures on public highways","url":"\/56-366.1\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-366.1","metadata":false},{"id":57282,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-366.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-366.2\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-366.2","metadata":false},{"id":67037,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-366.3","catch_line":"Proceedings to alter, rebuild or replace existing grade separation structure destroyed or rendered unusable","url":"\/56-366.3\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-366.3","metadata":false},{"id":74860,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-367","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-367\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-367","metadata":false},{"id":70712,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-368.1","catch_line":"Subsequent maintenance of underpasses and overpasses","url":"\/56-368.1\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-368.1","metadata":false},{"id":84747,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-369","catch_line":"Elimination of public grade crossings by change of alignment of public highways or construction of replacement public highways","url":"\/56-369\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-369","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":55941,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-362","catch_line":"Right of railroad to cross watercourse, intervening railroad, etc","url":"\/56-362\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-362","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":60556,"structure_id":14514,"section_number":"56-364","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-364\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-364","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-363\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1996, chapters 114<\/a> and 157<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":55941,"section_number":"56-362","catch_line":"Right of railroad to cross watercourse, intervening railroad, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-362\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":249543,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82890,"identifier":"56-363","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-363","url":"\/56-363\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-363\/","token":"56\/13\/3\/56-363","dublin_core":{"Title":"Crossing of a railroad or public highway by another railroad; crossing of a railroad by a public highway","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-363","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossings of one railroad<\/span> by another, or a public highway<\/span> by a railroad<\/span>, or a railroad<\/span> by a public highway<\/span>, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above or below the existing facility. And every railroad<\/span> hereafter constructed across another railroad<\/span> or across a public highway<\/span>, and every public highway<\/span> hereafter constructed across a railroad<\/span>, shall, wherever it is reasonably practicable, and does not involve an unreasonable expense, all the circumstances of the case considered, pass above or beneath the existing structure at a sufficient elevation or depression, as the case may be, with easy grades, so as to admit of safe speedy travel over each.\n\t\tIf constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure is not practical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governing body constructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for the safe movement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit the number of new public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessary crossings.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCROSSING OF A RAILROAD OR PUBLIC HIGHWAY BY ANOTHER RAILROAD; CROSSING OF A\nRAILROAD BY A PUBLIC HIGHWAY (\u00a7 56-363)\n\nIt is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossings of\none railroad by another, or a public highway by a railroad, or a railroad by a\npublic highway, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above or below the\nexisting facility. And every railroad hereafter constructed across another\nrailroad or across a public highway, and every public highway hereafter\nconstructed across a railroad, shall, wherever it is reasonably practicable, and\ndoes not involve an unreasonable expense, all the circumstances of the case\nconsidered, pass above or beneath the existing structure at a sufficient\nelevation or depression, as the case may be, with easy grades, so as to admit of\nsafe speedy travel over each.\n\t\tIf constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure is not\npractical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governing body\nconstructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the laws of the\nCommonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for the safe\nmovement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit the number of\nnew public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessary crossings.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 3972; 1996, cc. 114, 157.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}