Wisconsin Statutes Highways (Ch. 80 to 86) § 83.07. Acquisition of lands, quarries, gravel pits; relocation; eminent domain

(1) The county highway committee or town board may acquire any lands or interest therein needed to carry out the provisions of this chapter. Whenever the county highway committee or town board is unable to acquire the same by purchase at a reasonable price such property may be acquired by condemnation under ch. 32.

(1a) The county highway committee or town board may purchase or accept donations of remnants of tracts or parcels of land remaining at the time or after it has acquired portions of the tracts or parcels by purchase or condemnation where in the judgment of the county highway committee or town board the acquisition of the remnant would assist in rendering just compensation to a landowner, a part of whose lands have been taken for highway purposes, and would serve to minimize the overall cost of the taking by the public.

(2) In case the county highway committee or town board deems it desirable to acquire any lands or the right to take stone, gravel, clay or other material, from private lands for use in the execution of the committee's or board's duty, or to acquire the right of access to any lands, or the right of drainage across any lands, the committee or board may purchase or condemn such lands or right and take title thereto in the name of the county or town, and the cost thereof shall be paid out of the highway improvement funds.

(3) When lands are acquired under this section to relocate or straighten any highway or to provide easier curves at highway intersections, and tracts not more than 2 acres in area remain separated from the main body of land from which they are acquired, the county highway committee or town board may, if it deems the acquisition of such minor tracts advisable or necessary to beautify the highway or to protect public travel, acquire such minor tracts in the name of the county or the town. Tracts in excess of 2 acres of like character may be acquired by agreement.

(4) In case the county highway committee or the town board is unable to acquire needed lands or rights by contract, such committee or board may acquire the same in the name of the county or town by eminent domain, as provided in ch. 32.