For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions of the terms shall apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) "Department" means the Washington state department of transportation.

(2) "Route" means a statutory designated state highway, being a new highway or existing highway with new alignment, and is laid out as running to or by way of certain designated points, without specifying the particular way to be followed to or by way of such points. Each route may contain one or more corridors.

(3) "Corridor" means one of several general paths a highway can take to satisfy the route requirements and has one or more specific alignment alternatives. A corridor can include, as a whole or in part, any existing state highway facility, county highway facility, city street, new alignments or any combination of these.

(4) "Alignment" means the specific path a highway will take between two designated points within a corridor.

The secretary of transportation is hereby delegated the commission's authority to conduct all hearings and adopt a specific highway corridor whenever the general route has been designated but there are several alternatives within that route. The secretary is further delegated the authority of the commission contained in RCW 47.28.010.

Nothing herein shall be construed as to restrict the ability of the department to select specific alignments and design elements within the corridor as part of the design process.