Substituted for: House Bill No. 2972

By Halteman Harwell, Langster

AN ACT Providing for directional signs to the VA Medical Center in Nashville.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be the duty of the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain directional signs that inform citizens of the most direct routes to various destinations within Tennessee, including the erection of such signs for the VA Medical Center in Nashville at the following locations:

(1) Interstate 24/65 north of downtown Nashville at or near its southbound intersection with Interstate 265;

(2) Interstate 40 east of downtown Nashville east of its intersection with Interstate 24/440;

(3) Interstate 40 west of downtown Nashville west of its intersection with Interstate 440;

(4) Interstate 24 east of downtown Nashville east of its intersection with Interstate 440.

(b)(1) The directional signs provided for in subdivisions (a)(1) and (a)(2) shall bear the language: "VA Medical Center - I-65 South to Wedgewood Ave. Exit".

(2) The directional signs provided for in subdivisions (a)(3) and (a)(4) shall bear the language: "VA Medical Center - I-440 to 21^st Avenue Exit".

SECTION 2. The Department of Transportation shall also erect directional signs for the VA Medical Center in Nashville:

(1) at Exit 81 (Wedgewood Avenue) on Interstate 65, both northbound and southbound;

(2) at Exit 3 (21^st Avenue) on Interstate 440, both eastbound and westbound.

SECTION 3. The department may elect to include the information delineated in Section 1 and Section 2 on existing signage as an alternative to erecting new directional signs.

SECTION 4. The erection of such directional signs shall be within the guidelines prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

SECTION 5. This act shall become operative only if the federal highway administrator advises the Commissioner of Transportation in writing that the provisions of this act shall not render Tennessee in violation of federal laws and regulations and subject to penalties prescribed therein.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.