SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Department of Transportation is warning political candidates to be aware of where they put their campaign signs.
In a letter sent to political candidates on Friday, the agency reminded campaigns that it is illegal to post signs in rights of way.
“This includes all state highways, medians, road shoulders, sound walls, on-ramps, off-ramps, overpasses, adjoining fence lines, and the land between the fence line and hard surfaces of the road,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras wrote.
UDOT threatened to remove signs if crews come upon them and store them at maintenance sheds until after the election.
“What you may not realize is that illegally placed campaign signs can create serious safety issues for the traveling public and UDOT employees. Signs can negatively impact visibility and create hazardous debris on the road if they become loose. UDOT crews, who are responsible for retrieving these signs near live traffic, are unnecessarily exposed to the danger of being hit by distracted and speeding drivers. Additionally, when our road crews are forced to spend valuable time removing signs, they have less time to perform necessary and important work on the roadways,” Braceras wrote. “At UDOT, our highest goal is to achieve Zero Fatalities on Utah roads. We ask for you to share in our efforts to keep Utahns safe.”
UDOT appears to be trying to get ahead of an annual problem. Campaign volunteers often have no qualms about putting a sign up on an overpass or even in on-and-off-ramp medians. Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, sponsored a bill that would have charged political campaigns for the cost of removing signs but it did not make it through the 2023 legislative session.
