The city is auctioning off naming rights for the Chicago Skyway, the 7.8-mile long, 125-foot high toll road built in 1958. The naming-rights plan, says the Chicago Tribune, is unique:
The plan has raised eyebrows. While naming rights are nothing new in the world of professional sports or even in municipal government, it's never been tried successfully with a crowded toll road before.
Of course, the big question here is what happens when, say, there's a massive accident with 20 fatalities on the Coca-Cola Highway? Or how good is the publicity if there's a carjacking on the General Electric Freeway?
Chicago's continuing undaunted, though. City officials are already budgeting $3 million in naming-rights revenue for next year. They'd better hope they find some takers.
Photo via Flickr, from Daniel Montesinos.