Curious Who Pays For Damaged Highway Signs

BOSTON (CBS) -- In this already-taxing winter another expense is adding up. Highway signs -- paid for with tax dollars -- are being destroyed by state-hired plow drivers.

Steve in Newburyport Declared his Curiosity asking, "Who pays to replace all those new signs?"

Turns out taxpayers do.

The state spent $1.7 million in federal funds to put highway markers every two-tenths of a mile, but now many of those signs are laying flat in snow banks, pushed over by plows.

WBZ-TV's David Wade reports.

"If you are ever broken down they need to know where you are at. Those mile markers are important," said Eric Pupak.

Luisa Paiewonsky, the state's highway administrator, says in a typical year the state has to replace 2,000 to 3,000 damaged highway signs at a cost of $600,000.

She says this year will be much more, potentially up to $900,000.

Paiewonsky says although the state hires private contractors to plow the roads, it has never gone after one of those drivers for knocking down a sign.