765. The corporation of every local municipality situated on the St. Lawrence River, is bound to lay out and maintain during the winter, within its boundaries and across one-half of the body of water separating such municipality or a portion thereof, from another, or from a city or town municipality, for the purpose of connecting such local municipality with another local municipality or with a city or town municipality, or of connecting two city or town municipalities situated on the banks of such river, every road applied for by the corporation of one of such local municipalities, or of one of such city or town municipalities; and on the refusal or neglect of the corporation of such municipality so to do, the road may be laid out, made and maintained by the corporation of the local, city or town municipality applying for the same, at the expense and on the responsibility of the corporation in default.