1999 Minnesota Statutes

  160.02 Definitions. 

    Subdivision 1.    Purposes.  For the purposes of this 
 chapter the terms defined in this section have the meanings 
 given them. 

    Subd. 2.    Trunk highways.  "Trunk highways" includes 
 all roads established or to be established under the provisions 
 of article 14, section 2 of the Constitution of the state of 
 Minnesota. 

    Subd. 3.    County state-aid highways.  "County 
 state-aid highways" includes all roads established in accordance 
 with law as county state-aid highways. 

    Subd. 4.    County highways.  "County highways" 
 includes those roads which have heretofore been or which 
 hereafter may be established, constructed, or improved under 
 authority of the several county boards, including all roads 
 lying within the county or on the line between counties 
 established by judicial proceedings, except those roads 
 established, constructed, or improved by the counties that have 
 been maintained by the towns for a period of at least one year 
 prior to July 1, 1957.  All roads heretofore designated prior to 
 July 1, 1957 as county-aid highways shall be county highways 
 until abandoned or changed in accordance with law. 

    Subd. 5.    Municipal state-aid streets.  "Municipal 
 state-aid streets" includes all streets within the cities having 
 a population of 5,000 or more, established in accordance with 
 law as municipal state-aid streets.  

    Subd. 6.    Town roads.  "Town roads" includes those 
 roads and cartways which have heretofore been or which hereafter 
 may be established, constructed, or improved under the authority 
 of the several town boards, roads established, constructed, or 
 improved by counties that have been maintained by the towns for 
 a period of at least one year prior to July 1, 1957. 

    Subd. 7.    Road or highway.  "Road" or "highway" 
 includes, unless otherwise specified, the several kinds of 
 highways as defined in this section, including roads designated 
 as minimum-maintenance roads, and also cartways, together with 
 all bridges or other structures thereon which form a part of the 
 same.  

    Subd. 8.    Commissioner.  "Commissioner" means the 
 commissioner of transportation. 

    Subd. 9.    Road authority.  "Road authority" means the 
 commissioner, as to trunk highways; the county board, as to 
 county state-aid highways and county highways; the town board, 
 as to town roads; and the governing bodies of cities when the 
 governing bodies or city streets are specifically mentioned. 

    Subd. 10.    Portage.  "Portage" means a passageway two 
 rods in width extending from one public or navigable water to 
 another public or navigable water or from a public or navigable 
 water to a public highway. 

    Subd. 11.    Interstate bridge.  "Interstate bridge" 
 means all bridges now existing or which shall be hereafter 
 constructed across boundary waters between the state of 
 Minnesota and any adjoining state thereby connecting highways of 
 this state with the highway system of any adjoining state. 

    Subd. 12.    Controlled access highway.  "Controlled 
 access highway" means any highway, street, or road, including 
 streets within cities, over, from, or to which owners or 
 occupants of abutting land or other persons have or are to have 
 no right of access, or only a controlled right of the easement 
 of access, light, air, or view. 

    Subd. 13.    Public property.  "Public property" means 
 any property except streets, roads, or bridges owned by any 
 subdivision of government, including but not limited to, the 
 property of school districts however organized, towns, cities, 
 municipalities, counties, and any board or commission of any 
 thereof, and public corporations created by the laws of this 
 state. 

    Subd. 14.    Noxious weeds.  "Noxious weeds" has the 
 meaning given in section 18.77, subdivision 8.  

    Subd. 15.    Roadway; bicycle lane; bicycle route; bicycle 
 path; bikeway.  The terms "roadway," "bicycle lane," "bicycle 
 route," "bicycle path," and "bikeway" have the meanings given in 
 section 169.01. 

    Subd. 16.    Freeway or expressway.  "Freeway" or 
 "expressway" means a divided, controlled-access highway with 
 four or more lanes.  

    HIST: 1959 c 500 art 1 s 2; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7; 1976 c 2 s 
 172; 1976 c 166 s 7; 1984 c 562 s 4; 1985 c 127 s 1; 1985 c 215 
 s 1; 1987 c 255 s 2; 1993 c 13 art 2 s 1; 1995 c 265 art 2 s 15