Ohio to consider selling highway sponsorships

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to consider selling naming rights and sponsorships for 49,000 miles of Ohio highways as a way to reduce the $10 million it spends on maintenance.

Transportation Director Jerry Wray tells The Columbus Dispatch that the department could raise up to $15 million a year.

Wray on Thursday said the idea is preliminary and options are being explored. He says it’s unclear how much the state could charge for naming rights or what kind of signs would be used to designate the sponsorship.

The federal government allows sponsorships but not commercial advertising in rights of way.