2010 Wyoming Statutes
Title 24 - Highways
Chapter 7 - Relocation Of Highways

CHAPTER 7 - RELOCATION OF HIGHWAYS

 

24-7-101. Subject to city or town election.

 

 

(a) It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the state of Wyoming that no state highway or state and federal highway now traversing or passing through any incorporated city or town of the state of Wyoming shall be so moved or relocated in such city or town as to divert the present route of the same in such city or town nor to bypass such city or town except with the express approval of the people thereof.

 

(b) In any incorporated city or town when the decision is to be made, the proposal to move or relocate a highway shall be submitted at any regular or special election in the municipality to the qualified electors thereof. The ballot question shall set forth a concise and accurate summary of the proposed change and shall permit and direct each voter to vote either "For the Proposed Change" or "Against the Proposed Change". The election shall be conducted in all respects as any other municipal election. If a majority of those voting are in favor of the proposal to move or relocate the highway, the proposal carries. Otherwise, the proposal fails.

 

(c) If the majority of the ballots cast in such election in any town or city shall be in favor of the proposed change, as herein provided, then the governing board of such city or town shall proceed to effectuate the same, but if the majority in either case shall oppose such change then such governing board shall have no further jurisdiction or authority to consider or act upon the same; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the governing board of any city or town wherein, because of congestion of motor vehicle traffic, narrowness of streets, density of fumes, smoke or exhaust, intensity or frequency of unusually loud sounds, or other cause, the passage of motor vehicles consisting of more than one (1) self-propelled unit constitutes a nuisance or an actual danger to health or safety, as determined by such governing board, from establishing a separate route for such multi-unit motor vehicles around such city or town but connecting with public highways at or near the boundaries thereof, by acquiring lands or easements for rights-of-way for such routes, which need not be dedicated to the public nor to the public use but may be laid out as private highways solely for the use of such multi-unit motor vehicles.

 

24-7-102. Prohibited expenditures.

 

It is declared to be unlawful for the transportation commission or the department of transportation to expend any monies for the construction of a proposed change or for the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way for the same, until the approval of the governing body of the affected town or city shall have first been obtained as above provided.

 

24-7-103. Application of W.S. 24-1-127, 24-7-101 through 24-7-103.

 

This enactment shall have no application to the usual and necessary diversion of traffic for purposes of road repair or reconstruction, nor shall it apply to any city having a population of more than twenty thousand (20,000), nor shall the provisions of this act be retroactive from the effective date of this act.

 

24-7-104. Connecting roads; construction.

 

From and after the passage of this act whenever an established state highway is relocated, it shall be the duty of the department of transportation to cause to be constructed a hard-surfaced highway from any city or town of a population of not less than fifty (50) people now on or adjacent to the established highway to the relocated highway by the nearest practicable route.

 

24-7-105. Connecting roads; expense.

 

The connecting roads from the cities or towns to the relocated highway shall be constructed and maintained by the department of transportation without expense to the county or counties in which the roads are constructed.

 

24-7-106. Connecting roads; property owners to be furnished approaches.

 

Adjacent property owners shall be furnished safe, convenient and proper approaches to such relocated or connecting highways, but not beyond the highway right-of-way.