In case the highway commissioner denies the prayer of the petition for the laying out, widening, altering or vacation of a township or district road, any 3 of the petitioners may appeal from such decision to the county superintendent of highways by joining in a notice of such appeal and filing the same in the office of the district clerk within 10 days after the date of the decision appealed from. The clerk shall thereupon transmit the original petition for the laying out, widening, altering or vacation of such township or district road, together with the notice of appeal to the county superintendent of highways. Upon receipt thereof the county superintendent of highways shall thereupon fix a time and place for a public hearing thereof, giving notice thereof and conducting the hearing and rendering his decision thereon in the manner prescribed by Section 6-311 of this Act in the case of the hearing upon such petition by the county superintendent of highways. Upon rendering his decision, the county superintendent of highways shall likewise endorse on such petition a memorandum of his decision, which (if the decision approved the change requested in the petition) shall include his findings that such alteration or vacation of the township or district road will be in the public and economic interest and will not deprive residents or owners of proximate land of reasonable access elsewhere as specified in Section 6-305 of this Act; and shall file the same in the office of the district clerk.
     Such decision of the highway commissioner or, upon appeal of such order, of the county superintendent of highways shall be regarded as a preliminary decision upon the advisability of the proposal in the petition and shall be subject to revocation in the manner hereinafter provided, except that such decision of the county superintendent of highways affirming the denial of the petition shall be regarded as a final decision.