Ohio has contract for highway rest stop ad program

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Massachusetts marketing company will run Ohio's new program to allow interstate rest stops advertisements that could generate funding for transportation projects.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports Travelers Marketing, of Wellesley, Mass., will run an advertising, sponsorship and naming rights program under a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation. The program covers 45 rest stops on interstate highways in Ohio.

Department spokesman Steve Faulkner says companies will be able to advertise in certain parts of rest areas, possibly including parking space curbs.

As ODOT searches for new strategies to generate revenue, the move to allow such ads is expected to earn millions of dollars for Ohio in the next eight years. The state also hopes to sell naming rights and sponsorships for bridges and interchanges.