(A) A board of county commissioners, by resolution adopted by a majority vote and acting without regard to or the necessity for a petition, may find that the public convenience and welfare require the improvement of any public road or roads, or parts of any public road or roads, identified in that resolution in a manner provided in section 5555.06 of the Revised Code and may fix the route and termini of the improvement. If the board determines, in that resolution or in a subsequent resolution, that special assessments are not to be levied and collected to pay any part of the county's costs of the improvement, the board, in that resolution or in a subsequent resolution, including a resolution authorizing the issuance or incurrence of public obligations for the improvement, may authorize the improvement and the expenditure of funds required by the county for its construction and may proceed with the improvement without regard to any other procedures required by sections 5555.03 to 5555.42, 5555.45 to 5555.47, 5555.50, and 5555.81 to 5555.83 of the Revised Code except as otherwise provided in this section.

(B) This section applies to and authorizes an improvement located wholly within a single county, an improvement located in a county and one or more other counties in this state, an improvement along the county line between a county and one or more other counties in this state, an improvement extending from a county into or through one or more adjoining counties in this state, and an improvement on or along the line between this state and an adjoining state. If an improvement involves more than one county in this state, the portion of the cost of the improvement to be borne by each county, after deducting any amount agreed to be paid by any township in that county in which the improvement is located in whole or in part, shall be determined, without regard to or necessity for a joint board of county commissioners, in an agreement among the counties. Those counties may proceed in accordance with this section if special assessments are not to be levied and collected, or may proceed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter applicable to a single county improvement if special assessments are to be levied and collected. If an improvement is on or along the line between this state and an adjoining state, the portion of its cost to be borne by a county in this state shall be determined in an agreement between the county and the proper authorities of the adjoining state or its participating or cooperating subdivision or agency.

(C) The following provisions also apply to an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section:

(1) The improvement and the proceedings for its construction and financing, including a contract for the construction, may include, consistent with the other provisions of this section and notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter to the contrary, any road or roads or parts of any road or roads, and the provisions of sections 5555.61 to 5555.69 of the Revised Code relating to contracts for the construction of an improvement shall be construed accordingly and shall be controlling to the extent applicable.

(2) Any surveys, plans, profiles, cross sections, estimates of cost, and specifications that may be required:

(a) In the case of a single county improvement, shall be prepared by the county engineer at the direction of the board of county commissioners and shall require the board's approval;

(b) In the case of an improvement undertaken cooperatively by two or more counties in this state, shall be prepared by a county engineer of one of the counties as agreed to by the relevant boards of county commissioners or, if the boards are unable to so agree and certify that fact jointly to the director of transportation, by a county engineer of one of those counties designated by the director, and the surveys, plans, profiles, cross sections, estimates of cost, and specifications so prepared shall require the approval of each of the boards;

(c) In the case of an improvement on or along the line between this state and an adjoining state, shall be prepared by the county engineer of the county in this state and shall require the approval of the board of county commissioners and the proper authorities of the adjoining state or its participating or cooperating subdivision or agency.

(D) In the case of an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section on or along the line between this state and an adjoining state, a board of county commissioners also may join in its construction with the department of transportation and the equivalent department of the other state as if the improvement were wholly within this state.

(E) If, in the case of an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section involving two or more counties in this state, the boards of county commissioners of the relevant counties are unable to agree upon the portion of the costs of the improvement to be borne by each county and certify that fact jointly to the director of transportation, the director shall make the apportionment and certify it to each of the counties.

(F) A board of county commissioners may order that the county's cost of an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section be paid from tax levies or a road improvement fund referred to in section 5555.43 of the Revised Code. A county may enter into an agreement with any township in which the improvement is located in whole or in part for the allocation of the cost between the county and the township.

(G) Proceedings for the appropriation of real property or interests in real property needed by a county for an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section shall take place in accordance with sections 163.01 to 163.22 of the Revised Code.

(H) If, in the case of an improvement undertaken pursuant to this section involving two or more counties in this state, public obligations are issued or incurred to pay the costs of the improvement, the obligations shall be issued separately by each county for its portion of those costs, and the boards of county commissioners may provide for the construction of a portion of the improvement wholly within one county as and to the extent authorized for a joint board of county commissioners by section 5555.32 of the Revised Code.

(I) Actions required or authorized to be taken by a board of county commissioners pursuant to this section may be taken, consistent with the other provisions of this section, by a majority vote of the members of the board.

Effective Date: 03-12-2001 .