24-3-126. Abandonment of portion of highway upon reconstruction or relocation of existing highway; relinquishment to county or city in lieu of abandonment.

(a) The transportation commission may abandon or relinquish any portion of state highways upon the reconstruction or relocation of any portion of an existing state highway.

(b) Prior to abandonment of any portion of a state highway, the transportation commission shall offer the highway to the governing body of any county or city in which the highway is located. Upon being notified of the transportation commission's intent to abandon any portion of a state highway, the governing body of the county or city shall comply with the procedures provided for in paragraph (c)(ii) of this section in order to initiate transfer of the state highway.

(c) The abandonment or relinquishment of any portion of state highways shall be conclusively evidenced by the resolution entered in the minute record of the commission. A certified copy of the resolution shall be recorded by the secretary of the transportation commission in the office of the county clerk of any county in which abandoned or relinquished highway right-of-way is located. Abandonment or relinquishment shall not affect the rights of corporations or their successors in interest acquired under the provisions of W.S. 1-26-813 to continue the operation and maintenance of transmission and distribution lines constructed upon the right-of-way and shall not affect the rights of any corporation or successors in interest to continue to maintain any facility lawfully in the highway right-of-way at the time of any abandonment or relinquishment. Corporations shall have the right to go upon these lands for the purposes associated with maintenance or use of their facility. Specific rules regarding relinquishment and abandonment are:

(i) Upon the entry of the resolution of abandonment in the minute record of the commission, all title and interest, except as herein provided, to the highway right-of-way shall pass to and vest in the present adjacent landowner according to the portion contributed by adjacent landowner or his predecessor in interest;

(ii) Instead of abandonment, the transportation commission may, upon written request, relinquish to any county or city any portion of a state highway within the county or city proposed to be removed from the state highway system. The request shall be in the form of a resolution adopted by the governing body of the county or city, indicating that the portion of the state highway sought by the governing body will be used for a local public purpose enumerated in the resolution and expressing the agreement of the county or city to assume all responsibility with regard thereto. Relinquishment by the transportation commission shall be by entry of the resolution of relinquishment in the minute record of the commission and by quitclaim deed effective upon recordation in the office of the county clerk and recorder of any county in which the real property is located.