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Cal. SHC § 8340

This is the official text of Cal. SHC § 8340, part of California’s Streets and Highways Code — governs the construction and maintenance of public roads.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Official statutory text

In a proceeding to vacate a street or highway:

(a) A public entity may reserve and except from the vacation the easement and right at any time, or from time to time, to construct, maintain, operate, replace, remove, and renew sanitary sewers and storm drains and appurtenant structures in, upon, over, and across a street or highway proposed to be vacated and, pursuant to any existing franchise or renewals thereof, or otherwise, to construct, maintain, operate, replace, remove, renew, and enlarge lines of pipe, conduits, cables, wires, poles, and other convenient structures, equipment, and fixtures for the operation of gas pipelines, telegraphic and telephone lines, railroad lines, and for the transportation or distribution of electric energy, petroleum and its products, ammonia, and water, and for incidental purposes, including access to protect these works from all hazards in, upon, and over the street or highway proposed to be vacated.

(b) A local agency may reserve and except from vacation an easement for a future street or highway, unless the local agency finds that the street or highway is unnecessary for prospective public use.

(c) If there are in-place public utility facilities that are in use, a public entity shall, unless the legislative body determines the public convenience and necessity otherwise require, reserve, and except from the vacation any easement and right necessary to maintain, operate, replace, remove, or renew the public utility facilities.

(d) A public entity may reserve and except from the vacation, or may grant to another state or local public agency, an easement and right, at any time or from time to time, to construct, maintain, operate, replace, remove, and renew vehicular or nonvehicular trails for use by the public in, upon, over, and across a street or highway proposed to be vacated.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.