Sign Management and Maintenance Policy
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to formalize and document sign management policies on the LaSalle County Highway System in order to provide acceptable sign effectiveness while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Scope
LaSalle County Sign Management System will strive to provide a safe road system for the traveling public by conducting inspections during the year, documenting deficiencies , and maintaining and repairing when necessary. Replacement of signs will be based on the level of damage or the age of the sign as determined by the Highway Department.
Sign Management System
An inventory of all signs on the LaSalle County Highway System will be maintained by the Highway Department. The inventory will include age, attributes, location, and maintenance history of the signs. Signs will be replaced due to age based on the life expectancy of signs as stated by manufacturer warranties. This life expectancy is in place to meet the requirements of minimum retro-reflectivity standards on Table 2A-3 of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Inspections of the signs throughout the year will verify the sign is in place and visible and will check for damage. Damages and repairs will be recorded in the inventory database.
In addition, once yearly at a time to be designated based on staff availability and climate conditions, all county highways will be inspected during night-time hours to observe and report on overall sign condition and visibility. Signs that are in need of maintenance will be reported and scheduled for replacement.
The following signs are excluded from the retro-reflectivity maintenance guidelines of this policy.
- Parking, Standing, and Stopping signs (R7 and R8 series)
- Walking/Hitchhiking/Crossing signs (R9 series, R10-1 through R10-4b)
- Adopt-a-Highway signs
- All signs with blue or brown backgrounds
- Bike-way signs that are intended for exclusive use by bicyclists or pedestrians.