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The Honorable Timothy E. Johns <br /> July 21, 1999 <br /> Page 7 <br /> B. Ownership and DisDOSition of Public HiQhwavs. <br /> Public highways are of two types: <br /> (1) State highways, which are all those under the <br /> jurisdiction of the department of transportation; and <br /> (2) County highways, which are all other public highways. <br /> Section 264-1(a), HRS, defines two types of public highways. The <br /> first consists of those public highways under the jurisdiction of <br /> the Department of Transportation (DOT). These the statute <br /> declares are state public highways. Section 264-1(a)(1), HRS. <br /> State public highways are more particularly described in chapter <br /> 264. Generally they are federal aid highways which run around <br /> the perimeter of each island. All other public highways are <br /> county public highways. Section 264-1(a)(2), HRS. The counties <br /> own in fee simple their respective county public highways by . <br /> virtue of HRS § 264-2. In most, if not all cases a homestead <br /> oaner road would nog fall under the jurisdiction of DOT. <br /> accordingly, it would be a county public highway. <br /> CONCLUSION <br /> In view of the conclusion we have reached in this opinion, <br /> °(...continued) <br /> The question raised in AG Op. No. 63-54 was whether the County of Hawaii <br /> could sell a state-established homestead paper road. The opinion concluded <br /> that a county could not because it did own the highway under § 142-2, RLH. <br /> Section 142-2, RLH, limited the ownership of county public highways to "only <br /> such highways acquired by the counties by eminent domain, purchase, dedication - <br /> or surrender." Since the count; had not acquired the paper `road' through any <br /> of these means, the opinion rightly concluded that the county could not sell <br /> it. Act 221, 1965 Haw. secs. Laws 338, amended § 142-2, to provid=_ that by <br /> <br /> virtue of section 142-2, HRS, itself the county owns in fee simple all county <br /> <br /> public highways acquired by whatever means and may dispose of them in <br /> accordance with the laws. <br /> <br />