The Commissioner of Transportation may acquire in the name of the state by purchase or condemnation, in the same manner and with like powers as authorized and exercised by said commissioner in acquiring real property for state highway purposes, and may accept gifts of interests in strips of land for the improvement of such strips of land necessary for the preservation, restoration and enhancement of scenic beauty adjacent to state highways, and may acquire land in the manner stated above to develop such controlled rest and recreation areas and sanitary and other facilities within or adjacent to state highway rights-of-way as are reasonably necessary to accommodate the traveling public. Said commissioner shall promulgate regulations to carry out the provisions of this section, which regulations shall not be less restrictive than the standards promulgated and from time to time amended by the Federal Highway Administrator in respect to federal aid highways.

(February, 1965, P.A. 445; 1967, P.A. 564, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 86.)

History: 1967 act allowed land acquisition by condemnation, reversing previous provision, allowed land acquisition for development of rest and recreation areas, sanitary and other facilities to accommodate the traveling public and deleted provision prohibiting acquisition or regulations of land strips zoned for industrial or commercial use under local ordinances; 1969 act substituted commissioner of transportation for highway commissioner.