Those makeshift memorial markers to lost loved ones along highways are finally going to be legal in the state. The Arizona Department of Transportation has established a new policy meant to balance public safety with people’s need to grieve.



For years, erecting a cross or any other memorial along an Arizona highway was illegal, but now ADOT says people can submit a request to the department to put up a tribute. These markers can be up to 30 inches high and 18 inches wide, and have to be made of specific materials. They also must be placed away from traffic.



Memorials that are already up may stay, but only if they meet safety standards. Those who placed them must contact ADOT, however, in case the markers need to be moved. ADOT will continue to remove without notice any memorial deemed a hazard.







