A Sign of Compromise?

I continue to be an advocate for sensible signage and a single highway number to identify the highway corridor that runs like a mostly four-lane ribbon from Columbus to Steubenville. A piece written a year ago was my attempt to keep the discussion alive.

At one time, ODOT's Central Office informally had approved a change to see the numbered State Route 161 adopted for the whole stretch that right now includes the six numbers of SR161, SR37, SR16, US36, US250, and US22.  It was an estimate claiming the cost to install the signs was $1 million that killed it.

For a few weeks now, though, I've seen signs of a compromise.  Literally.

I'm not sure where they start, where it ends, or for what purpose they've been erected, but the photo above has one of a series of signs labeling the roadway "ALT East I-70."

I can verify seeing my first version of the sign at I-270 and SR161.  I saw several along 161 even ones along the SR37 stretch and this one just before the highway becomes SR16.

It's a start.