1. For the purposes of this chapter, cities and highway authorities having jurisdiction and control over the highways of the state, as provided by chapter 306, may acquire private or public property rights for controlled-access facilities and service roads, including rights of access, air, view, and light, by gift, devise, purchase, or condemnation in the same manner as such units are authorized by law to acquire such property or property rights in connection with highways and streets within their respective jurisdictions. All property rights acquired under this chapter shall be in fee simple. In connection with the acquisition of property or property rights for a controlled-access facility or portion of, or service road in connection with a controlled-access facility, the cities and highway authorities, in their discretion, may acquire an entire lot, block, or tract of land, if by so doing the interests of the public will be best served, even though the entire lot, block, or tract is not immediately needed for the right-of-way proper.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 306A.5

  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • highway: means the entire width between property lines of every way or place of whatever nature when any part thereof is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for purposes of vehicular travel, except in public areas in which the boundary shall be thirty-three feet each side of the center line of the roadway. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • road: include public bridges, and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" "common road" and "state road". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. Access rights to any highway shall not be acquired by any authority having jurisdiction and control over the highways of this state by adverse possession or prescriptive right. Action taken by any such authority shall not form the basis for any claim of adverse possession of or prescriptive right to any access rights by any such authority.