CHAPTER 265

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 338-2, 33-8 as amended, and 33-12 as
amended, of the Code of Virginia, relating to residence requirements
of members of State Highway Commission, State Highway Com-
missioner, and powers and duties of State Highway Commission.

(S 111]
Approved March 31, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 33-2, 33-3 as amended, and 33-12 as amended, of the Code
of Virginia be amended and reenacted, as follows:

§ 33-2. Of such Commission, one member shall be a resident of the
territory now included in the Bristol construction district, one in the Salem
construction district, one in the Lynchburg construction district, one in
the Staunton construction district, one in the Culpeper construction district,
one in the Fredericksburg construction district, one in the Richmond con-
struction district and one in the Suffolk construction district. Each member
so appointed shall be mindful of the best interest of the State at large
primarily instead of those of the district from which chosen.

§ 33-3. The chairman, whose official title shall be State Highway
Commissioner, and who may, at the time of his appointment, be a non-
resident of Virginia, shall be * an experienced administrator, able to direct
and guide the Department in the establishment and achievement of the
State’s long range highway objectives and shall be appointed at large. The
State Highway Commissioner, hereinafter in this title sometimes called
“the Commissioner”, shall devote his entire time and attention to his duties
as chief executive officer of the Department and shall receive such com-
pensation as shall be fixed by the Governor, subject to the approval of the
Commission, unless such salary be fixed by the General Assembly in the
appropriation act. He shall also be reimbursed for his actual traveling
expenses while engaged in the discharge of his duties.

In the event of a vacancy due to the death, retirement, resignation or
removal of the State Highway Commissioner, the Governor may appoint
an “Acting State Highway Commissioner,” until such time as the vacancy
may be filled as provided in § 33-1 of the Code of Virginia. Such “Acting
State Highway Commissioner” shall have all powers, and perform all
duties, of the State Highway Commissioner as provided by law, and shall
receive such compensation as may be fixed by the Governor. All acts per-
formed by the Deputy State Highway Commissioner between the time
of any such vacancy and the effective date of the appointment of an “Acting
State Highway Commissioner” or the State Highway Commissioner ap-
pointed to fill such vacancy are hereby validated.

Nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to authorize or
empower such “Acting State Highway Commissioner” to serve as a member
of the Elizabeth River Tunnel Commission.

§ 33-12. The State Highway Commission shall be vested with the
following powers and shall have the following duties:

(1) Location of routes.—To locate and establish the routes to be
followed by the roads comprising the State Highway System between the
points designated in the establishment of such system.

(2) Construction contracts.—To let all contracts for the construction,
improvement and maintenance of the roads comprising the State Highway

ystem.

(3) Traffic regulations.—To make rules and regulations, from time to
time, not in conflict with the laws of this State, for the protection of and
covering traffic on and the use of the State Highway System and Secondary
System and to add to, amend or repeal the same.

(4) Naming highways.—To give suitable names to State Highways
and change the names of any highways forming a part of the State Highway
System, except such roads as have been or may hereafter be named by the
General Assembly.

(5) Compliance with federal acts.—To comply fully with the provisions
of the present or future federal aid acts. The Commission may enter in all
contracts or agreements with the United States Government relating to the
survey, construction, improvement and maintenance of roads under the
provisions of any present or future congressional enactment, may submit
such scheme or program for construction or maintenance as may be re-
quired by the Secretary of Agriculture, or otherwise provided by federal
acts, and may do all other things necessary to carry out fully the cooperation
contemplated and provided for by present or future acts of Congress for
the construction, improvement and maintenance of rural post roads.

(6) Information and statistics —To gather and tabulate information
and statistics on road building, maintenance and improvements and to
disseminate the same throughout the State through farmers’ institutes,
good roads associations and the bulletins of the Department of Agriculture
and Immigration, or otherwise, and to erect signs along the State highways
and to pay for the same out of funds set aside for the construction of roads
in the State Highway System.

(7) Department policies and operation.—To review and approve polt-
cies of the Department and State highway objectives, to assist in establish-
ing such policies and objectives, to oversee the execution thereof, and to
report thereon to the Commissioner.