'Welcome to Killeen' sign keeps getting hit; TxDOT says there's not much to do about it

KILLEEN, Texas — The City of Killeen's "Welcome to Killeen" sign is located off the highway just after Rosewood Drive. The I-14 freeway goes straight past the sign without any turn. The sign is not especially close to the road.

But for some reason, people keep running into it. 

Facebook posts suggest the sign has been hit four times since December 2020. The Texas Department of Transportation keeps data on where crashes happen on the highway, but not what vehicles run into, so the true number is difficult to pinpoint. 

Back in April, an 18-year-old was killed after running into the sign. 

There is now a Facebook page dedicated to crashes at the sign, and some people want it removed. But when 6 News contacted TxDOT to ask about a possible solution, we found TxDOT can't find any safety factors with the location of the sign that need to be addressed. 

"The 'Welcome to Killeen' sign sits outside TxDOT’s clear zone, and its location meets TxDOT standards. Along the stretch of highway near the sign, the installation of guard rails and/or barriers is not warranted due to the roadway configuration and sign location outside the clear zone," TxDOT said in a statement.

The "clear zone" is the distance from the unobstructed, traversable area provided beyond the edge of the traveled area of the freeway for the recovery of vehicles. It includes everything outside the traffic lane, including the shoulder of the freeway. The clear zone for a freeway is 30 feet, so TxDOT indicated the sign is at least 30 feet away from I-14.

At the same time repairs to the sign are costing the city money. Killeen Assistant Director of Public Works Jeffery Reynolds told 6 News via email the city already had to repair the sign once last year. The cost for replacing just the lettering on the sign after several hits this year will be around $1,800, though the sign looks to have underlying damage. 

There are ongoing discussions to ensure that all safety precautions are taken prior to rebuilding or removing the sign.

The City of Killeen couldn't say what their plans for the sign are at this time but Reynolds did state, "there are ongoing discussions to ensure that all safety precautions are taken prior to rebuilding or removing the sign."