Condemnation of property for highway purposes

Statutes of the forty-eight states and territories were reviewed which pertain to the condemnation of land for highways. 4 aspects of the power of eminent domain and the manner in which the several state legislatures have handled them are discussed: (1) delegation of the authority to condemn, (2) property which may be taken, (3) type of legal estate which may be acquired, and (4) designation of the procedure to be followed. A comparison of the various statutes within a particular jurisdiction reveals a surprising amount of internal conflict.