Springfield, Ill. Callers to a state road-construction information line Thursday might have been surprised to hear, "We love nasty talk as much as you do."

The Illinois Department of Transportation intended newly installed signs along the Dan Ryan Expressway, which will undergo major reconstruction starting later this month, to instruct motorists to call a toll-free number for information on alternate routes.

Instead, the initial number posted directed callers wanting "exciting live talk" to another toll-free number, which begins, "Hey there, sexy guy. Welcome to an exciting new way to go live, one on one, with hot, horny girls waiting right now to talk to you."

Three of six informational signs were planted Thursday along the 11-mile stretch of roadway that will be rebuilt during the next two years, IDOT spokesman Matt Vanover said. An IDOT worker commuting to work Thursday morning recognized the incorrect number and alerted officials, he said.

"We apologize to anyone who may have called that number and did not get the information that they were looking for," Vanover said.

Workers were correcting the number on the signs Thursday afternoon, Vanover said. The Bureau of Operations is responsible for the signs, but Vanover would not comment further. He said the agency would investigate the mistake but he would not speculate on whether anyone would be disciplined.

After two years of rebuilding exit ramps and retaining walls, the $600 million Dan Ryan project proceeds to reconstruction of 43-year-old traffic lanes in about 10 days, spokesman Mike Claffey said. Four express lanes in each direction will be closed this year. Next year, those lanes will reopen while the three remaining lanes going each way are rebuilt.

The signs alert motorists to the coming work on the nation's fourth-busiest expressway and urges them to find a detour with help from the toll-free number.

But the first one posted prompted callers to dial another number, where they were invited to engage in "hot amateur talk and voice personals" for 99 cents a minute, or "live, one-on-one" chat with a "nasty girl" for $2.99 a minute.