Provision may be made by an order made by the Minister under this subsection or under section 10 above (orders for trunk roads) for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under any specified navigable waters as part of a trunk road.

Provision may be made by a scheme under section 16 above (schemes for special roads) for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under specified navigable waters as part of a special road.

Provision may be made by a scheme made by a local highway authority under this subsection, and confirmed by the Minister, for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under specified navigable waters as part of a highway or proposed highway which is or is to be a highway (other than a special road) maintainable at the public expense by the authority.

Parts I and III of Schedule 1 to this Act have effect as to the making of an order under subsection (1) above, Parts II and III of that Schedule have effect as to the making of a scheme under subsection (3) above and Schedule 2 to this Act has effect as to the validity and date of operation of any such order or scheme.

References in this section, in relation to any order or scheme, to specified navigable waters are references to such navigable waters (whether the sea, a river or other waters) as may be specified in the order or scheme.

References in the following provisions of this Part of this Act to an order or scheme which provides for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under navigable waters are references to any order or scheme made under or by virtue of subsection (1), (2), (3) or (4) above.

Before making or confirming an order or scheme which provides for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under navigable waters, the Minister shall take into consideration the reasonable requirements of navigation over the waters affected by the order or scheme.

An order or scheme which provides for the construction of such a bridge shall include such plans and specifications as may be necessary to indicate the position and dimensions of the proposed bridge including its spans, headways and waterways, and in the case of a swing bridge shall contain such provisions as the Minister considers expedient for regulating its operation.

An order or scheme which provides for the construction of such a tunnel shall include such plans and specifications as may be necessary to indicate the position and dimensions of the proposed tunnel, including its depth below the bed of the navigable waters.

If objection to an order or scheme proposed to be made or, as the case may be, to an order or scheme made and proposed to be confirmed, is duly made in accordance with Schedule 1 to this Act by F1the National Rivers Authority or any navigation authority on whom notice is required to be served under paragraph 3 or, as the case may be, paragraph 11 of that Schedule, on the ground that the bridge or tunnel is likely to obstruct or impede the performance of their functions under any enactment, or to interfere with the reasonable requirements of navigation over the waters affected by the order or scheme, as the case may be, and the objection is not withdrawn, the order or scheme, as the case may be, shall be subject to special parliamentary procedure.

Parts I and III of Schedule 1 to this Act have effect as to the making of any order under subsection (1) above, and Schedule 2 to this Act has effect as to the validity and date of operation of any such order.

An order or scheme which provides for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under any navigable waters may authorise the highway authority by whom the bridge or tunnel is to be constructed to divert such part of any navigable watercourse as may be specified in the order or scheme if, in the opinion of that authority, the diversion of that part is necessary or desirable for purposes connected with the bridge or tunnel, or its construction.

Where by virtue of an order under subsection (1) above or an order or scheme falling within subsection (4) or (5) above a highway authority are authorised to divert any part of a navigable watercourse they may also divert any towing path or other way adjacent to that part.

Where a navigable watercourse is to be diverted in pursuance of an order under section 108(1) above or of any order or scheme falling within section 108(4) or (5) above, any new length of watercourse provided in pursuance of the order or scheme shall be such as will or, but for any bridge or tunnel constructed over or under it in pursuance of any order or scheme falling within section 108(4), would be navigable in a reasonably convenient manner by vessels of a kind which immediately before the date of the coming into operation of the order or scheme were accustomed to use that part of the watercourse which is to be replaced by the new length.

Where works for the diversion of a watercourse are carried out by a highway authority in accordance with any such order or scheme and any person suffers damage in consequence thereof by the depreciation of any interest in any land to which he is entitled or by reason of the fact that his right of access to a watercourse is extinguished or interfered with then, unless the works are carried out on land, or in the exercise of rights, acquired compulsorily in the exercise of highway land acquisition powers, that person is entitled to recover from the highway authority compensation under this subsection in respect of that damage.

This section does not apply to any works which a highway authority are authorised to carry out by virtue of an order or scheme which has been made or confirmed in accordance with Schedule 1 to this Act.

Before carrying out any works under this section, the highway authority shall consult every council in whose area the works are to be carried out.

Where works are carried out by a highway authority under this section and any person suffers damage in consequence thereof by the depreciation of any interest in any land to which he is entitled or by reason of the fact that his right of access to a watercourse is extinguished or interfered with, then, unless the works are carried out on land, or in the exercise of rights, acquired compulsorily in the exercise of highway land acquisition powers, that person is entitled to recover from the highway authority compensation under this subsection in respect of the damage.

Subject to subsection (7) below, a highway authority who propose to carry out any works under this section shall serve on the owner and the occupier of the land affected a notice stating their intention to carry out those works and describing them and informing him that he may within 28 days after service of the notice on him by notice to the authority object to the proposed works.

In this Part of this Act “navigable waters” and “navigable watercourse” means waters or a watercourse, as the case may be, over which a public right of navigation exists; and any waterway comprised in the undertaking of the British Waterways Board which is for the time being specified in Part I or Part II of Schedule 12 to the M1Transport Act 1968 (commercial and cruising waterways) is to be deemed to be navigable waters and a navigable watercourse for the purposes of this Part of this Act.

References in this Part of this Act to an order or scheme which provides for the construction of a bridge over or a tunnel under navigable waters are to be construed in accordance with section 106(8) above.