At every crossing of a highway or other way, except state and state aid highways and a railroad at grade, the municipal officers of the town or unorganized place in which the crossing is located are authorized and required on order of the Department of Transportation to remove embankments and other obstructions within highway limits and to enter on private property and properly trim, cut down, remove or apply chemical treatment to bushes, and from time to time as may be necessary to cut down and remove trees, fences, signboards and encroachments which obstruct the view of an engine, train or car by a traveler at or near any crossing. The department shall cause the same to be done on state and state aid highways. The authority of the department in any order to the municipal officers shall not extend beyond the land bounded on a line from a point 300 feet on either side of any crossing, measured along the highway or other way, and a point 300 feet on either side of any crossing measured along the railroad right-of-way, for the purpose of enabling a traveler on any way, when the traveler is 300 feet or less distant from any crossing, to have a fair view of an approaching train, engine or car from one or more angles continuously from the time the train, engine or car is 300 feet from the crossing until it has passed over the crossing. Entry on private property for the purposes stated shall be only after a 10 days' notice, mailed to the last known address of the property owner, and posting of the notice in a conspicuous place in the municipality.   [PL 1989, c. 398, §8 (NEW).]