[3] The idea was for the DOT to save operational money by offloading minor highways to the respective counties.

The freeway-expressway and arterial systems had limits on total mileage, 2,660 and 3,500 miles (4,280 and 5,630 km), respectively.

[4] County officials were not keen on the idea of taking over more highway miles from the state when their own road budgets were tight.

They felt the DOT was attempting to dump unwanted highway miles, which were also in poor condition, on a county unwilling to accept them.

[3] Some counties felt pressure to accept roads from the state that the DOT had not maintained adequately.

One provision in the Iowa Code required whichever agency maintained a section of highway previously to either repair the highway in question or to pay an appropriate amount of money equal to the costs of repairing the road to the agency receiving the road.

[11] The two sides were not any closer 18 months later when the DOT was ready to open a new four-lane US 218 south of Iowa City.