(1) The department shall designate an office or division of dedicated staff and services whose primary responsibility is to coordinate the design, preliminary engineering, permitting, financing, and construction of transportation projects under consideration by a regional transportation investment district planning committee or that are part of a regional transportation investment plan being implemented by a regional transportation investment district.

(2) All of the powers granted the department under Title 47 RCW relating to highway construction may, at the request of a regional transportation investment district, be used to implement a regional transportation investment plan and construct transportation projects.