39-1314 State highways; relinquishment; abandonment; fragment or section; offer to political subdivision; procedure.
39-1314. State highways; relinquishment; abandonment; fragment or section; offer to political subdivision; procedure.No fragment or section of a route nor any route on the state highway system shall be abandoned without first offering to relinquish such fragment, section, or route to the political or governmental subdivisions or public corporations wherein any portion of the state highway system is to be abandoned. The department shall offer to relinquish such fragment, section, or route by written notification to such political or governmental subdivisions or public corporations of the department's offer to relinquish. Such offer to relinquish may be conditional or subject to the reservation of any right which the department deems necessary. Four months after sending the notice of offer to relinquish, the department may proceed to abandon such fragment, section, or route on the state highway system unless a petition from a notified political or governmental subdivision or public corporation has been filed with the department, prior to abandonment, setting forth that the political or governmental subdivision or public corporation desires to maintain such fragment, section, route, or portion thereof. The department may reject any petition which does not accept the conditions or reservations specified in the department's offer to relinquish. Any petition which is accepted by the department, together with a written instrument describing the proposed relinquishment, shall be placed upon public record in the department. Such written instrument shall bear the department seal and shall be dated and subscribed by the Director-State Engineer and state upon what conditions, if any, the relinquishment shall be qualified. Such written instrument shall be certified by the department and be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county where the portion of the state highway system is being relinquished. No fee shall be charged for such recording. After such recording, the fragment, section, route, or portion relinquished will be the responsibility of such political or governmental subdivision or public corporation. SourceLaws 1955, c. 148, § 14, p. 423.