§17-16A-19. Preliminary expenses.

(a) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation is authorized in his or her discretion to expend out of any funds available for the purpose, such moneys as may be necessary for the study of any parkway, economic development or tourism project or projects and to use the Department of Transportation's engineering and other forces, including consulting engineers and traffic engineers, for the purpose of effecting such study and to pay for such additional engineering and traffic and other expert studies as he or she may deem expedient.

(b) All such expenses incurred by the Department of Transportation prior to the issuance of parkway revenue bonds or revenue refunding bonds under the provisions of this article shall be paid by the Department of Transportation and charged to the appropriate project or projects, and the Department of Transportation shall keep proper records and accounts showing each amount so charged.

(c) Upon the sale of parkway revenue bonds or revenue refunding bonds for any project or projects, the funds so expended by the Department of Transportation in connection with such project or projects may be reimbursed to the Department of Transportation from the proceeds of such bonds.