Signs illegally placed along Kentucky right of ways will start disappearing this week.
We've all seen them, signs declaring "we buy houses," "mattresses for sale," "yard sale this way" or even just election and real estate signs. They're fine when placed on public property but present problems on public right of ways.
Nancy Wood with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says crews are heading out this week to do a little weeding.
"If we see them out there any time of the year, we'll pull them," Wood says. "But usually in the spring they start popping up just like flowers."
She says they can block drivers' views and create costly issues.
"They can be a nuisance to our equipment. We've had some signs fall over and our mowers don't see them and equipment is damaged. We really want our crews not to have to focus on illegal signs so they can have their attention on other needed roadway problems."
The sign problem gets worse in the spring and around elections.
Pulled signs are stored for several weeks at county maintenance barns so owners may collect them. Wood encourages people placing signs to make sure they're safely out of state right of ways.
"There is no additional cost per se, but removing signage diverts time our maintenance staff could be using on other priority tasks this time of year, like pothole repair and vegetation management," Wood adds.
Per a notice from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: "Kentucky law prohibits placement of unauthorized signs on state right of way unless otherwise permitted. State law requires highway personnel to remove all illegal signs. This also applies to signs attached to utility poles on the right of way."
