The highway authority may designate and establish controlled-access highways as new and additional facilities or may designate and establish an existing street or highway as included within a controlled-access facility.
The state or any of its subdivisions have the authority to provide for the elimination of intersections at grade of controlled-access facilities with existing state and county roads, and city or town streets, by grade separation of service road, or by closing off the roads and streets at the right-of-way boundary line of the controlled-access facility.
After the establishment of any controlled-access facility, no highway or street that is not part of the facility shall intersect the facility at grade.
No city or town street, county or state highway, or other public way shall be opened into or connected with the controlled-access facility without the consent and previous approval of the highway authority in the state, county, city or town having jurisdiction over the controlled-access facility. Consent and approval shall be given only if the public interest shall be served by the consent and approval.
Any abutting property owner claiming damages by virtue of the closing of any street or road on which the owner’s property abuts shall have a right of action as provided by § 29-16-123.
