Q: Who do I contact about the signs regarding the eastbound Interstate 80 detour? I had friends visiting from central Iowa, and the signs were confusing. On eastbound I-80, just before I-74, the electronic signs say to use I-74 to get to Illinois. But, within minutes, drivers must pick between “local traffic” and “I-74 through traffic to I-80” existing signs. Nothing tells them to use the “local traffic” as the detour, so they drove on, following “through traffic to I-80” signs, and came to the bridge closure. How hard would it be to add a “detour” sign to the correct I-74 choice, and to cover up the “through traffic” sign overhead? If it’s not open, it should be covered. If only one exit to I-74 works, it should have “detour” signs.

— Colona, Ill. — the long way

A: Colona, I e-mailed Doug Rick, area engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation, about the signs. He said it’s important to remember that in Iowa, I-80 and all exits off I-80 are open.

“We do not desire to give the impression that I-80 in Iowa is closed east of I-74,” Rick said. “Eastbound I-80 is open up to the Mississippi River Bridge in LeClaire, Iowa. This is one of the reasons we do not mark I-280 and I-74 as detour routes. Instead, we advise eastbound motorists destined for Illinois to use I-280.”

For traffic that misses those signs, and for traffic entering I-80 from Northwest Boulevard or U.S. 61, the signs advise all Illinois-bound traffic to use I-74. “For traffic that misses the previous diversion messages, we have U.S. 67 marked as a detour to I-74 in Bettendorf,” Rick said.

He said he agrees that the existing “local traffic” and “through traffic” signs at the I-80/I-74 interchange could be confusing. “Covering these signs will be considered as we get a better idea of how much longer eastbound I-80 will be closed at the Mississippi River.”

 

Q: Why are the captions on WHBF-TV channel 4 often placed over the eyes and mouths of the speakers/actors, making it difficult for hearing impaired viewers to capitalize on two important cues — eyes and mouth?

— Jim, Silvis, Ill.

A: J.D. Walls, director of broadcast operations for WHBF, said there are very stringent regulations on television stations relative to the accessibility of emergency information — including severe weather watches and warnings — especially as it relates to the hearing and sight impaired. There are similar regulations regarding closed captioning.

“Unfortunately, when both are necessary, they traditionally utilize the same part of the television screen — the lower third,” Walls said. “Without moving one or the other, they compete, with one covering the other, which creates an FCC violation and opens the station up for governmental sanctions, including a monetary fine.”

Walls said many stations choose to move the captioning “up” a couple of lines to make way for severe weather and other emergency crawls. “We have the technology to do so, but technically and operationally, it creates its own unique set of challenges and puts the possibility of an FCC violation in the hands of what is generally an entry-level master control position. And so, we made the determination to permanently move the captioning.”

Walls said that while this may occasionally create a small inconvenience for hearing-impaired viewers, it ensures that all important information is displayed properly as mandated by the FCC.