Senate Bill 2994

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO BE KNOWN AS THE "FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION PROGRAM" TO PURCHASE THE RIGHTS-OF-WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY SEGMENTS ON ROUTES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE EXISTING FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY PROGRAM; TO ESTABLISH THE CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF RIGHTS-OF-WAY ACQUIRED UNDER THIS PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Transportation shall establish a program to be known as the "Four-Lane Right-of-Way Acquisition Program" to purchase rights-of-way for the construction of additional four-lane highway segments on routes that are not designated in Section 65-3-97.

(2) Acquisitions of rights-of-way under the program established under this section shall be made along routes projected by the Department of Transportation to have a significant future need for the location of a four-lane highway. The determination by the Department of Transportation shall be based upon public necessity and public safety, present and future economic benefit and commercial value, present and future traffic census and route continuity.

(3) In acquiring property under this program the Department of Transportation shall make every reasonable effort to acquire real property under this program expeditiously by negotiation before resorting to acquisition by eminent domain proceedings.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.