The director of transportation may cooperate in the construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair, and maintenance of park drives or park roads within the boundaries of parks created under sections 511.18 to 511.34 and 1545.01 to 1545.22 of the Revised Code, together with roads leading from state highways to and into any such park.

The director, after agreement with the board of park commissioners of any such park district, may proceed with the construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair, and maintenance of any such drives or roads within such park, or roads leading from state highways to such park areas. Such construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair, and maintenance shall be in conformity with the general engineering plans of the park district.

The director may, with respect to any such park drive or road improvement, under such terms as are mutually agreed upon between him and any such board, because of benefits to be derived thereby, enter into a contract with any such park district that may be necessary or convenient to carry out the general plans of the park district, insofar as they relate to park roadway or drive improvement or repair.

The cost of such construction, reconstruction, improvement, repair, and maintenance shall be paid in the same manner as provided for state highway improvement, provided the expenditures in any one year, for the purposes set forth in this section, shall not exceed one and one-half million dollars.

This section does not derogate or limit the powers of the director to add additional mileage to the state highway system, and limitations imposed on the mileage of state highways shall not apply to work done under this section.

This section does not derogate or limit the power and authority conferred upon park districts and boards of commissioners created by sections 511.18 to 511.34 and 1545.01 to 1545.22 of the Revised Code, or of any amendatory or supplementary acts thereto.

Effective Date: 07-01-1989 .