Honorary highways given special meaning in central Illinois

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Nearly two dozen stretches of roadways across central Illinois are designated to memorialize someone.

An Illinois Department of Transportation report says there are 22 such designated pieces of roadway in the 12 counties of the department's fourth district, which runs from south of the Quad Cities to the McLean County line.

The Journal Star (http://bit.ly/2bmBm9j ) reports the honors often go to military members or public safety workers who have died in the line of duty or community leaders. During the last several months state lawmakers have voted five times to name a section of a state-controlled road for an honoree.

One-third of them are bridges. Others are on state roads running through the towns, and some are on interstate highways.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com