The agency authorized to negotiate and cooperate in engineering studies and construction with the United States through the Corps of Engineers shall be the department of transportation. The commissioner of transportation is hereby ordered, directed and empowered to take the necessary steps in relation to securing and coordinating engineering and other information attendant to implementing the projects provided herein in order to provide the governor and council with information to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The cost of required studies shall be a charge against the appropriations hereinafter provided for the purposes of this project.