(1) Whenever any irrigation corporation in this state constructs its canals, ditches, conduits, aqueducts, pipeline, or any of its works across any public road or highway, or where any public road or highway crosses any irrigation canal or branches thereof, the irrigation corporation shall be required to build a good and sufficient bridge across the canal or branches thereof. The bridge shall be built under the direction of the county judge of the county in which the road crosses the canal or branch thereof.
(2) The irrigation corporation shall keep in good repair all approaches to the bridge so that the elevation or depression of the approaches shall be no greater than one perpendicular foot (1') for every five feet (5') of horizontal distance.
(3) This subchapter shall not apply to the following counties: Ashley, Bradley, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Chicot, Clark, Clay, Columbia, Conway, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Franklin, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Johnson, Lafayette, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Ouachita, Phillips, Pike, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Union, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.