Whenever the highway commissioner receives a certificate from the Department as provided in Section 6-303 of this Act, or a petition praying for the laying out, widening, altering or vacation of a township or district road, he shall fix a time when and a place where he will examine the route of such township or district road and hear reasons for or against the laying out, widening, altering or vacating. He shall give at least 10 days’ written notice of the time and place of such examination and hearing to the county superintendent of highways and to any municipality which is affected by such action occurring within its planning area, and by publication in at least one newspaper published in the township or district or, in the absence of such published newspaper, in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the township or district or, in the absence of such generally circulated newspaper, by posting notices in 5 of the most public places in the district in the vicinity of the road to be laid out, widened, altered or vacated. The commissioner may, by written notice to the county superintendent of highways and any affected municipality, and by public announcement and by the posting of a notice at the time and place named for the first hearing, adjourn such hearing from time to time, but not for a longer period than 10 days. At such meeting, or such adjourned meeting the commissioner shall decide and publicly announce whether he will grant or refuse the prayer of the petition, and shall endorse upon or annex to the petition a brief memorandum of such decision. The memorandum shall be signed by the commissioner and filed within 5 days thereafter in the office of the district clerk. The commissioner shall also send a copy of the memorandum to the county superintendent of highways and any affected municipality, and, in cases where action is initiated as the result of a Department certificate, a copy of the memorandum to the Department.
     No road shall be laid out, widened, altered or vacated unless the highway commissioner finds that such alteration or vacation is in the public and economic interest and further finds that any person residing or owning land within 2 miles of any portion of the road proposed to be altered or vacated shall still have reasonable access (but not necessarily a direct route) by way of a motor vehicle or other portable farm machinery commonly used in the area to farm land he owns or operates and to community and trade centers after the road is altered or vacated. Such findings shall be contained in the memorandum of decision signed by the highway commissioner.
     A final hearing may be held at the time of the preliminary or adjourned meeting if all damages have been released, all surveys and plats are made and there are no objectors. If there are objectors, the final hearing shall be held as provided for in Section 6-311.