SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — One day after NewsChannel 5 reported that the relocation of signs honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk was on hold, TDOT moved them.
The department had said it could not act without direction from the General Assembly. Because the legislature is not currently in session, lawmakers would not have been able to vote on the relocation until at least January.
Earlier this week, Sumner County Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield said the memorial signs would be removed from State Route 386 after local Vietnam veterans objected to their placement. The signs were installed in June along the roadway, which is also designated as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard and honors 25 Sumner County service members who died in the Vietnam War.
Mansfield said many veterans were angry and frustrated that another memorial designation had been placed along a road dedicated to their fellow service members. He also said the veterans were not consulted before the signs were installed.
On Wednesday, TDOT told NewsChannel 5 that it had not received the direction needed to relocate the signs.
“The Tennessee General Assembly approves memorial designation of roadways, while the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for fabricating and installing the signage,” the department said. “Regarding the placement or removal of the signage, TDOT will follow the direction provided by the General Assembly, which we have not yet received.”
The state legislature is not currently in session, so lawmakers would not have been able to vote to relocate the signs until at least January, when they return to Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, TDOT said it had received a request from the bill sponsors to change the signs’ location.
“TDOT received a request from the bill sponsors to modify the locations of the Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signage from SR 386 (Vietnam Veterans Parkway) to SR 174 (Long Hollow Pike), between the SR 386 intersection and the SR 109 interchange,” Erin Zeigler with TDOT said.
Crews completed the relocation on July 23, according to Zeigler.
Kirk, 31, shot and killed in September 2025 while speaking at a university event in Utah. He had no direct ties to Middle Tennessee.
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