Section 542.300  Criteria for Specific Service Panels

a)         Number and Order of Freeway Panels

1)         Specific service panels and business logo signs may be installed under the standards of Chapter 2J of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highway, 2009 Edition, available from the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington DC 20590, (202)366-4000 or http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov, no later amendments or editions included.  Specific service panels may be installed for each of the five types of services (gas, food, lodging, camping, and 24-hour pharmacy).  There will be a maximum of four service panels with a total of 24 logo signs erected within the right-of-way of a freeway for each direction of travel in advance of an interchange after receipt of the business signs by the Department for each type of service.  There will be a maximum of two specific service panels and 12 business logo signs that display a specific service type.  Each service panel will provide space for a maximum of six logo signs regardless of whether the service panel displays one or multiple service types.  A service panel may display up to three different service types but will provide enough space for at least two logo signs for all service types displayed. These maximum limits will also include any service panels and logo signs installed for attractions (see 92 Ill. Adm. Code 543, Tourism Attraction Signing Program).

2)         Specific service panels will not be erected in advance of any exit-only freeway interchange where motorists cannot immediately reenter the freeway and continue in the same direction of travel.

3)         Specific service panels shall be installed successively in the direction of travel in the following order:  24-HOUR PHARMACY, CAMPING, LODGING, FOOD, and GAS (i.e., the GAS panel shall be the last specific service panel viewed by motorists before reaching the appropriate exit ramp).

4)         Where sufficient distance is not available between interchanges to install four specific service panels, only the number of panels that can be properly spaced will be installed.  Service panels may be modified to include other service types (see subsection (a)(1)).  To determine those services that will be signed, priority will be given in the following order from top to bottom:

GAS (Level 1 signs)

FOOD (Level 1 signs)

LODGING (Level 1 signs)

CAMPING (Level 1 signs)

ATTRACTIONS (Level 1 signs)

24-HOUR PHARMACY (Level 1 signs)

GAS (Level 2 signs)

FOOD (Level 2 signs)

LODGING (Level 2 signs)

CAMPING (Level 2 signs)

ATTRACTIONS (Level 2 signs)

24-HOUR PHARMACY (Level 2 signs)

Once a type of service has a specific service panel or second specific service panel erected at an interchange that continues to display at least one business logo sign, that panel or service type will not be removed because a business establishment from another higher priority service requests to participate.

5)         All specific service panels shall be ground-mounted.

b)         Location of Freeway Panels

1)         Each specific service panel along the freeway shall be installed at least 800 feet from other panels and/or signs.  Where possible, the series of specific service panels in advance of an interchange is to be erected ahead of the first advance guide sign, such as "Main Street 1 Mile."   Where a sign, such as a county line sign, is located ahead of the advance guide sign and obstructs normal panel sequential spacing, the panels shall be spaced so as to incorporate that additional sign.   Where the specific service panels cannot all be properly located ahead of the advance guide sign because of a lack of required longitudinal distance or topography, as many of the panels as possible shall be installed ahead of the advance guide sign and the remaining panels shall be installed closer to the exit ramp but as close to the first advance guide sign as possible, consistent with the previously stated spacing requirements.   In any event, the last panel will not be placed closer than 800 feet in advance of either the exit direction sign (displaying the take-off arrow) or the beginning of the exit ramp taper, nor will it be placed any closer than 500 feet from the preceding entrance ramp stub.

2)         Specific service panels will not be erected in advance of entrance ramps from a previous interchange.

c)         Exit Ramp Panels at Single-Exit Interchanges

1)         Specific service panels will be installed along exit ramps at single-exit interchanges in accordance with subsection (c)(2).  These panels will be placed in the same sequential order as those along the freeway.  Each exit ramp panel shall be installed at least 200 feet from other panels and/or signs.

2)         Any business establishment that has its logo displayed on a freeway panel shall be required to display its logo on an exit ramp panel at a single-exit interchange.  This provision applies to those businesses who receive approval of their applications on or after September 1, 2000. Only businesses having logos displayed on freeway panels will have logos displayed on exit ramps panels.

3)         The Department will place a supplemental distance sign below the business sign of any establishment over one mile from the exit ramp at single-exit interchanges.  Whenever the Department places such sign on an exit ramp panel, it will also place a supplemental distance sign for the business sign of any other business establishment ½ mile or more from the ramp.  The supplemental sign will indicate the distance to the facility in half-mile increments.

d)         Exit Ramp Panels at Double-Exit Interchanges

1)         Any business establishment that has its logo displayed on a freeway panel shall not be required to display its logo on an exit ramp panel at a double-exit interchange.  Any business establishment that has its logo displayed on a freeway panel at a double-exit interchange that is reconstructed to a single-exit interchange will be required to have its logo displayed on ramp panels in accordance with subsection (c).   

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 18905, effective October 26, 2011)