Motorists cheer on Blagojevich sign cleansing
And just like that, he was gone.
The 2-foot high "Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor" title displayed at the Bolingbrook toll plaza along southbound 1-355 vanished from sight Friday, replaced by the utilitarian "Boughton Rd Plaza 89."
"You're taking down the sign?" a passing driver called out to assembled Illinois Tollway officials and media. "No way!" he added, giving the thumb's up sign.
A symphony of truck horns blasting and cars tooting approval accompanied two workers atop an aerial lift who fastened three blue, aluminum panels over the disgraced ex-governor's name.
In all, 32 signs at 22 plazas will be Blagojevich-less by Monday, tollway spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said. The total cost of the overlays is $15,000.
The decision to change the controversial signs was made Thursday by agency Chairman John Mitola. It coincided with the state Senate's unanimous impeachment of Blagojevich, who was arrested in December on corruption charges.
Costing $15,000 each originally, for a total of nearly a half-million dollars, the signs infuriated a number of tollway users when they were put up, becoming the butt of jokes and drawing vocal critics to board meetings. They also drew the displeasure of then-Lt. Gov. Quinn, who recently described them as symbolic of an "imperial government."
While not being inundated with protests about the Blagojevich moniker following his arrest, the agency did regularly receive e-mails and phone calls from people, McGinnis said.
Installation of the overlays will be phased in over the weekend, depending on weather and traffic flow.
Erasing the former governor from the Boughton toll plaza's signs took about 25 minutes and temporarily blocked two lanes of traffic.
While the bulk of tollway users know the toll plazas, displaying the names and identification numbers will be useful to out-of-state drivers and Illinoisans who don't frequent the system, McGinnis said.
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