Section 230. Definitions

As used in this article the following terms shall
  have the following meanings:
    1. "Bridge" means  a  structure  including  supports  erected  over  a
  depression  or an obstruction such as water, highway, or railway, having
  a track or passageway for carrying traffic or  other  moving  loads  and
  having  an  opening measured along the center of the track or roadway of
  more than twenty feet between under croppings  of  abutments  or  spring
  lines  or arches, or extreme ends of openings for multiple boxes and may
  include multiple pipes where the clear distance between openings is less
  than half of the smaller contiguous opening. The term bridge, as defined
  in this section, shall also include the approaches.
    2. "Culvert" means a structure whether  of  single  or  multiple  span
  construction  within  an  interior  width  of  twenty  feet or less when
  measurement is made horizontally along the center line of  roadway  from
  face  to face of abutments or sidewalls immediately below the copings or
  fillets; or, if there are no copings or fillets  at  points  six  inches
  below  the bridge seats or immediately under the top slab in the case of
  frame structures. In the case of arches, the span shall be measured from
  spring line to spring line.  All measurements shall include  the  widths
  of  intervening  piers or division walls as well as the width of copings
  or fillets. The term culvert, as defined in  this  section,  shall  also
  include the approaches.
    3. "Publicly-owned,  operated  or  maintained"  means a bridge that is
  owned,  operated  or  maintained  by  any  department,  board,   bureau,
  commission  or agency of the state or its political subdivisions, public
  benefit corporation or  by  any  public  authority  including  the  port
  authority of New York and New Jersey.
    4. "Public  entity" means any department, board, bureau, commission or
  agency of the  state  or  its  political  subdivisions,  public  benefit
  corporation  or any public authority including the port authority of New
  York and New Jersey.
    5. "Substantial structural alteration" means any  work  that  modifies
  the  load  capacity,  loan  distribution  or  load  paths  or structural
  behavior of the bridge.
    6. "Railroad bridge" means a structure including supports erected over
  a depression or an obstruction  such  as  water,  highway,  or  railway,
  having  a  track  or  tracks for carrying freight or passengers or other
  moving loads and having an opening measured  along  the  center  of  the
  track  or  roadway  of  more than twenty feet between under croppings of
  abutments or spring lines or arches, or extreme  ends  of  openings  for
  multiple  boxes  and may include multiple pipes where the clear distance
  between openings is less than half of  the  smaller  contiguous  opening
  whether  privately  or  publicly  owned.  The  term  railroad bridge, as
  defined in this section, shall also include the approaches.
    7. "Railroad" means a private or  public  railroad  operating  in  the
  state  of  New  York  carrying either freight, passengers or freight and
  passengers  including,  but  not  limited  to,  those  operated  by  the
  metropolitan  transportation  authority  and  its subsidiaries, the Long
  Island Rail Road, the metro-north  railroad,  the  Staten  Island  rapid
  transit  operating authority, the New York city transit authority or any
  other public authority or local government  and  shall  include  tourist
  excursion operations and railrides on standard gauge tracks.