Thieves steal N.C. road sign - again

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Want to know how far it is from the eastern end of Interstate 40 in North Carolina to the western end in California? You'll have to punch it into your GPS or try MapQuest.

The Star-News of Wilmington reports that a popular sign showing the distance between Wilmington, N.C., and Barstow, Calif., has been stolen for at least the fourth time -- and the last.

North Carolina transportation engineer Joe Chance said that with the repeated thefts, there won't be another sign that tells motorists it's 2,554 miles to Barstow. That's where the interstate ends.

The sign was a familiar sight to travelers heading west out of Wilmington and had been up for years. There are reports of similar problems with a sign on I-40 East in California that shows the distance to Wilmington.