venient* or adjacent to the area of construction with notice and reasonable opportunity for interested persons to present their views as to the practicability and feasibility of such construction.

Sec. 212. Inter-American Highway.

(a) Funds appropriated for the Inter-American Highway shall be used to enable the United States to cooperate with the Governments of the American Republics situated in Central America-that is, with the Governments of the Republic of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama-in the survey and construction of the Inter-American Highway within the borders of the aforesaid Republics, respectively. Not to exceed one-third of the appropriation authorized for each fiscal year may be expended without requiring the country or countries in which such funds may be expended to match any part thereof, if the Secretary of State shall find that the cost of constructing said highway in such country or countries will be beyond their reasonable capacity to bear. The remainder of such authorized appropriations shall be available for expenditure only when matched to the extent required by this section by the country in which such expenditure may be made. Expenditures from the funds available on a matching basis shall not be made for the survey and construction of any portion of said highway within the borders of any country named herein unless such country shall provide and make available for expenditure in conjunction therewith a sum equal to at least one-third of the expenditures that may be incurred by that Government and the United States on such portion of the highway. All expenditures by the United States under the provisions of this section for material, equipment, and supplies shall, whenever practicable, be made for products of the United States or of the country in which such survey or construction work is being carried on. Construction work to be performed under contract shall be advertised for a reasonable period by the Minister of Public Works, or other similar official, of the government concerned in each of the participating countries and contracts shall be awarded pursuant to such advertisements with the approval of the Secretary. No part of the appropriations authorized shall be available for obligation or expenditure for work on said highway in any cooperating country unless the government of said country shall have assented to the provisions of this section; shall have furnished satisfactory assurances that it has an organization adequately qualified to administer the functions. required of such country under the provisions hereof; and then only as such country may submit requests, from time to time, for the construction of any portion of the highway to standards adequate to meet present and future traffic needs. No part of said appropriations shall be available for obligation or expenditure in any such country until the government of that country shall have entered into an agreement with the United States which shall provide, in part, that said country

*So in original-probably should be "convenience".

(1) will provide, without participation of funds authorized, all necessary rights-of-way for the construction of said highway which rightsof-way shall be of a minimum width where practicable of one hundred meters in rural areas and fifty meters in municipalities and shall forever be held inviolate as a part of the highway for public use;

(2) will not impose any highway toll, or permit any such toll to be charged, for use by vehicles or persons of any portion of said highway constructed under the provisions of this section;

(3) will not levy or assess, directly or indirectly, any fee, tax, or other charge for the use of said highway by vehicles or persons from the United States that does not apply equally to vehicles or persons of such country;

(4) will continue to grant reciprocal recognition of vehicle registration and drivers' licenses in accordance with the provisions of the Convention for the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic, which was opened for signature at the Pan American Union in Washington on December 15, 1943, and to which such country and the United States are parties, or of any other treaty or international convention establishing similar reciprocal recognition; and

(5) will provide for the maintenance of said highway after its completion in condition adequately to serve the needs of present and future traffic. 171

(b) The survey and construction work authorized by this section shall be under the administration of the Secretary, who shall consult with the appropriate officials of the Department of State with respect to matters involving the foreign relations of this Government, and such negotiations with the Governments of the American Republics named in subsection (a) of this section as may be required to carry out the purposes of this section shall be conducted through, or as authorized by, the Department of State.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not create nor authorize the creation of any obligations on the part of the Government of the United States. with respect to any expenditures for highway construction or survey heretofore or hereafter undertaken in any of the countries enumerated in subsection (a) of this section, other than the expenditures authorized by the provisions of this section.

(d) Appropriations made pursuant to any authorizations heretofore, or hereafter enacted for the Inter-American Highway shall be considered available for expenditure by the Secretary for necessary administrative and engineering expenses in connection with the Inter-American Highway program. Sec. 213. Rama Road.

(a) Recognizing the mutual benefits that will accrue to the Republic of Nicaragua and to the United States from the completion of the road from San Benito to Rama in said Republic of Nicaragua, the construction of which

171 See Proviso, sec. 4 of Public Law 87-866, Oct. 23, 1962 (76 Stat. 1145).

road was begun and partially completed pursuant to an agreement between said Republic and the United States, the Secretary is authorized out of the funds appropriated for such purposes to provide for the construction of such road. Appropriations made for such purposes shall remain available until expended. No expenditure shall be made hereunder for the construction of said road until a request therefor shall have been received by the Secretary of State from the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua nor until an agreement shall have been entered into by said Republic with the Secretary of State which shall provide, in part, that said Republic—

(1) will provide, without participation of funds authorized under this title, or under prior Acts, all necessary right-of-way for the construction of said highway, which right-of-way shall be of a minimum width, where practicable, of one hundred meters in rural areas and fifty meters in municipalities and shall forever be held inviolate as a part of the highway for public use;

(2) will not impose any highway toll, or permit any such toll to be charged for the use of said highway by vehicles or persons;

(3) will not levy or assess, directly or indirectly, any fee, tax, or other charge for the use of said road by vehicles or persons from the United States that does not apply equally to vehicles or persons of such Republic;

(4) will continue to grant reciprocal recognition of vehicle registration and drivers' licenses in accordance with the provisions of the Convention for the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic, which was opened for signature at the Pan American Union in Washington on December 15, 1943, and to which such Republic and the United States are parties; or any other treaty or international convention establishing similar reciprocal recognition; and

(5) will maintain said road after its completion in proper condition adequately to serve the needs of present and future traffic.

(b) The funds appropriated for such purposes shall be available for expenditure in accordance with the terms of this section for the survey and construction of said road from San Benito to Rama in the Republic of Nicaragua without being matched by said Republic, and all expenditures made under the provisions of this section for materials, equipment, and supplies, shall, whenever practicable, be made for products of the United States or of the Republic of Nicaragua.

(c) The survey and construction work undertaken pursuant to this section shall be under the general supervision of the Secretary.

Sec. 214. Public lands development roads and trails.

(a) Funds available for public lands development roads and trails shall be used to pay the cost of construction and improvement of such roads and trails.

(b) Funds available for public lands development roads and trails shall

be available for adjacent vehicular parking areas and for sanitary, water, and fire control facilities.

(c) The Secretary shall approve the location, type, and design of all projects for public lands development roads and trails before any expenditures are made thereon and all construction thereof shall be under the general supervision of the Secretary,172

Sec. 215. Territorial highway program.173

(a) Recognizing the mutual benefits that will accrue to the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and to the United States from the improvement of highways in such territories of the United States, the Secretary is authorized to assist each such territorial government in a program for the construction and improvement of a system of arterial highways, and necessary interisland connectors designated by the Governor of such territory and approved by the Secretary. Federal financial assistance shall be granted under this subsection to such territories upon the basis of a Federal contribution of 70 per centum of the cost of any project.

(b) In order to establish a long-range highway development program, the Secretary is authorized to provide technical assistance for the establishment of an appropriate agency to administer on a continuing basis highway planning, design, construction and maintenance operations, the development of a system of arterial and collector highways, including necessary interisland connectors, and the establishment of advance acquisition of right-of-way and relocation assistance programs.

(c) No part of the appropriations authorized under this section shall be available for obligation or expenditure with respect to any territory until the Governor enters into an agreement with the Secretary providing that the government of such territory (1) will design and construct a system of arterial and collector highways, including necessary interisland connectors, built in accordance with standards approved by the Secretary; (2) will not impose any toll, or permit any such toll to be charged, for use by vehicles or persons of any portion of the facilities constructed or operated under the provisions of this section; (3) will provide for the maintenance of such facilities in a condition to adequately serve the needs of present and future traffic; (4) will implement standards for traffic operations and uniform. traffic control devices which are approved by the Secretary.

(d) (1) Three per centum of the sums authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year for carrying out subsection (a) of this section shall be available for expenditure only for engineering and economic surveys and investigations, for the planning of future highway programs and the financing thereof, for studies of the economy, safety, and convenience of highway usage and the desirable regulation and equitable taxation thereof, and for research and development, necessary in connection with the planning, design,

172 New section added by sec. 6(b) of Public Law 87-866, Oct. 23, 1962 (76 Stat. 1145).

173 New section added by sec. 112 of Public Law 91-605, Dec. 31, 1970 (84 Stat. 1713).

and maintenance of the highway system, and the regulation and taxation of their use.

(2) In addition to the percentage provided in paragraph (1) of the subsection, not to exceed 2 per centum of sums authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year for carrying out subsection (a) of this section may be expended upon request of the Governor and with the approval of the Secretary for the purposes enumerated in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(e) None of the funds authorized to be appropriated for carrying out this section shall be obligated or expended for maintenance of the highway system.

(f) The provisions of chapters 1 and 5 of this title that are applicable to Federal-aid primary highway funds, other than provisions relating to the apportionment formula and provisions limiting the expenditure of such funds to the Federal-aid systems, shall apply to the funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, except as determined by the Secretary to be inconsistent with this section.

Sec. 216. Darien Gap Highway.174

(a) The United States shall cooperate with the Government of the Republic of Panama and with the Government of Colombia in the construction of approximately two hundred and fifty miles of highway in such countries in the location known as the "Darien Gap" to connect the Inter-American Highway authorized by section 212 of this title with the Pan American Highway System of South America. Such highway shall be known as the "Darien Gap Highway". Funds authorized by this section shall be obligated and expended subject to the same terms, conditions, and requirements with respect to the Darien Gap Highway as are funds authorized for the Inter-American Highway by subsection (a) of section 212 of this title.

(b) The construction authorized by this section shall be under the administration of the Secretary, who shall consult with the appropriate officials of the Department of State with respect to matters involving the foreign relations of this Government, and such negotiations with the Governments of the Republic of Panama and Colombia as may be required to carry out the purposes of this section shall be conducted through, or authorized by, the Department of State.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not create nor authorize the creation of any obligations on the part of the Government of the United States with respect to any expenditures for highway survey or construction heretofore or hereafter undertaken in Panama or Colombia, other than the expenditures authorized by the provisions of this section.

(d) Appropriations made pursuant to any authorization for the Darien Gap Highway shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary for necessary administrative and engineering expenses in connection with the Darien Gap Highway program.

New section added by sec. 113 (a) of Public Law 91-605, Dec. 31, 1970, (84 Stat. 1713).