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In order to further the interests of national security, the Commonwealth Transportation Board may, at the request of the Army and Navy Departments, Federal Highway Administration or other agency of the United States, construct and maintain, or cooperate with any such federal agency in the construction and maintenance of flight strips, airfields, and roads leading thereto from public highways. To carry out this purpose the Department, acting through the Commissioner of Highways may acquire in the name of the Commonwealth by gift or purchase or by the exercise of the power of eminent domain such real property, or interest therein, including the rights in the air above real property, as may be needed for such flight strips, airfields and roads. The exercise of the power of eminent domain hereby conferred shall be in the same manner and pursuant to the same procedure that is now, or may hereafter be, provided by law for the acquisition of real property by the Commissioner of Highways for highway purposes, and in order that the construction work may proceed without delay, the Department may, in the same manner and under the same conditions and procedure as is provided in the case of real property needed for highway purposes, enter upon and take possession of such real property as may be needed for the purposes of this section, and proceed with the construction work prior to the acquisition of title to the property in condemnation proceedings. In carrying out the purposes of this section, the Department may expend only such funds as may be provided for such purposes by the federal government. If requested to do so by the federal agency which provided the funds with which the Department acquired the property for any such flight strips, airfields or roads, the Department may authorize and direct the Commissioner of Highways to convey, by deed executed in the name of the Commonwealth, such property to the United States to be used in the interests of national security. If title to such property is retained by the Commonwealth, the Department may authorize any agency of the United States to use such property to further the interest of national security. Whenever the Department finds that property heretofore or hereafter acquired by it for any such flight strips, airfields or roads is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was acquired, it may sell the same for such consideration as it deems adequate to any private person, firm or corporation and may authorize and direct the Commissioner of Highways to execute a deed in the name of the Commonwealth conveying such property to the purchaser. The proceeds from any such sale shall be paid into the treasury of Virginia to the credit of the highway fund unless the terms of any grant to the Department or the Commonwealth provide otherwise, in which case such proceeds shall be disposed of in accordance with the terms of such grant. Code 1950, § 5-41; 1966, c. 576; 1979, c. 272.
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