The Board may acquire by purchase, condemnation, or gift any ferry within the Commonwealth that forms a connecting link in a state highway and may purchase all equipment and other things necessary for the establishment of new ferries to become connecting links in the primary or secondary state highway system, whenever it shall determine such action to be advisable and expedient. The Board may expend from state highway construction funds of the highway construction district where the ferries are located and are under the Board’s control at any time such sums as may be necessary to acquire or establish, maintain, and operate any such ferry. The Board may operate such ferry either as a free or toll ferry and may establish a toll for the use of such ferry at such rates as are deemed by the Board to be reasonable and proper without regulation by any other governmental body.