Want a tollway sign?

What does it take to get an informational sign posted on the Illinois tollway? The agency listed guidelines on its Web site Wednesday that define criteria for communities or businesses.

The rules include educational institutions, tourist attractions, points of interest, airports, government offices, commercial centers and transit facilities. Among the determining factors are how close a site is to the tollway, how many people will be drawn to a site and whether the location is urban or rural.

For example, if a town wishes to post a permanent sign on a toll highway advertising a local museum, it must generate 300,000 annual attendees for urban areas or 200,000 people annually in rural locations.

For information, check out the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's Web site at illinoistollway.com. Go to the Doing Business tab, then click on Manuals under the Construction and Engineering header. The guidelines are listed under Traffic Generator & Info Sign Policy 2009.