(1) The Mississippi Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, may develop a priority plan for the design and construction of motor vehicle parking areas located at official state historical markers on and along the rights-of-way of the highways, roads and streets under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Department. For the purposes of this section an “official state historical marker” means any such marker that is included on the inventory of state historical markers maintained by the Department of Archives and History.

(2) The plan developed by the Transportation Department shall include provisions for road signs on and along the highway, road or street upon which a historical marker is located so as to provide advance notice to motorists approaching from either direction that a historical marker is located ahead. Such road signs shall be designed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation and shall be uniform in color, size and appearance.

(3) The Executive Director of the Department of Transportation and the Executive Director of the Department of Archives and History shall meet annually to review the progress of the implementation of this section and to determine those projects that will be performed under this section during the next fiscal year.

(4) The costs incurred by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Archives and History under the provisions of this section shall be paid out of any funds made available upon legislative appropriation; however, the Department of Transportation shall apply for such federal funds as may be available to help defray the costs of projects performed under this section. The Department of Archives and History shall include in its annual budget requests a request for funds for the systematic maintenance of official state historical markers.