Development and maintenance of system by department of transportation and parks and recreation commission — Allocation of costs.
RCW 47.39.030
in effect(1) The department shall pay from motor vehicle funds appropriated for construction of state highways, the following costs of developing and constructing scenic and recreational highways: (a) Acquisition of the right-of-way necessary for state highway purposes; (b) construction of the portion of the highway designed primarily for motor vehicle travel; (c) exit and entrance roadways providing access to scenic observation points; (d) safety rest areas; (e) roadside landscaping within the portion of the highway right-of-way acquired by the department for state highway purposes; (f) the uniform signs and markers designating the various features and facilities of the scenic and recreational highways; and (g) any additional costs of constructing and developing the scenic and recreational highways, including property acquisition adjacent to highways as authorized by RCW 47.12.250 , for which the department shall receive reimbursement from the federal government or any other source. (2) The parks and recreation commission shall pay the costs of developing and constructing the scenic and recreational highways not provided for in subsection (1) of this section from any funds appropriated for such purposes. (3) The costs of maintaining the scenic and recreational highway system shall be allocated between the department and the parks and recreation commission in the same manner that costs of developing and constructing such highways are allocated in subsections (1) and (2) of this section. (4) The city, town, county, regional transportation planning organization, federal agency, federally recognized tribe, or any other such party that nominates a roadway not located on a state-owned right-of-way for designation as a scenic byway shall bear all costs relating to the nomination and designation of the byway, such as costs for developing, maintaining, planning, designing, and constructing the scenic byway.
(1) The department shall pay from motor vehicle funds appropriated for construction of state highways, the following costs of developing and constructing scenic and recreational highways: (a) Acquisition of the right-of-way necessary for state highway purposes; (b) construction of the portion of the highway designed primarily for motor vehicle travel; (c) exit and entrance roadways providing access to scenic observation points; (d) safety rest areas; (e) roadside landscaping within the portion of the highway right-of-way acquired by the department for state highway purposes; (f) the uniform signs and markers designating the various features and facilities of the scenic and recreational highways; and (g) any additional costs of constructing and developing the scenic and recreational highways, including property acquisition adjacent to highways as authorized by RCW 47.12.250 , for which the department shall receive reimbursement from the federal government or any other source.
(2) The parks and recreation commission shall pay the costs of developing and constructing the scenic and recreational highways not provided for in subsection (1) of this section from any funds appropriated for such purposes.
(3) The costs of maintaining the scenic and recreational highway system shall be allocated between the department and the parks and recreation commission in the same manner that costs of developing and constructing such highways are allocated in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(4) The city, town, county, regional transportation planning organization, federal agency, federally recognized tribe, or any other such party that nominates a roadway not located on a state-owned right-of-way for designation as a scenic byway shall bear all costs relating to the nomination and designation of the byway, such as costs for developing, maintaining, planning, designing, and constructing the scenic byway.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.39&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026