DAILY LEADER / KATIE WILLIAMSON / With a heated runoff Republican primary coming up June 24, candidate signs are showing up along roads and streets around the area. Although these signs are on private property and are allowed, Mississippi Department of Transportation officials remind candidates and supporters that signs are not permitted on any state highway right of way.

With a runoff election coming up next Tuesday, June 24, and a general election Nov. 4 this year, the Mississippi Department of Transportation reminds political candidates that campaign signs are not permitted on a state highway right of way.

To maintain traffic safety, the following rules govern the placement of signs.

• It is illegal to place signs within the right-of-way on state highways. The width of highway rights-of-way varies by location and includes the driving lanes, shoulders, mowed areas and potentially may reach distances of 300 feet or more from the centerline of the driving lanes.

• Keeping the right-of-way clear prevents safety hazards and interference with traveling public along roadways.

• Signs with steel or wooden posts pose potential hazards which may cause harm to roadside workers, damage to roadside equipment and become projectiles if hit by mowers.

• Illegally placed campaign signs contribute to the state’s $3.2 million litter problem spoiling Mississippi’s natural beauty.

• Signs are not permitted within areas used for clear vision at intersections so they will not interfere with the sight distance of a driver. No signs are allowed in limited access rights-of-way. Typically, the right-of-way is larger near roadway intersections.

• Any illegally placed signs will be removed. Signs removed by MDOT crews will be kept for two weeks at a local MDOT maintenance facility, then discarded. Candidates may retrieve signs from MDOT without penalty.

For more information, call 601-359-7074 or visit GoMDOT.com.