Federal Mandate Issued to Replace All Street Signs

NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Over the next few years, street crews in every city in Oklahoma are going to have a big job ahead of them.

The federal government has issued a new mandate that all street signs have to be replaced with the right reflectivity -- making sure the signs can be seen when it's dark. In Oklahoma City alone, crews will be replacing more than 100,000 signs.

The warning and ground-mounted signs have to be replaced by 2015, and the overhead and street signs have to be done by 2018.

"It obviously helps," said Public Works Director Dennis Clowers. "It sounds like a lot of time, but when you look at replacing that many signs, it's really not that much time."

Clowers said the sign overhaul will cost $2.5 million, and since this is an un-funded mandate, all cities will have to shell out the cash to replace the signs.