I don’t really know where I-40 is or have an answer to your question, so this comment is tangential at best. Sorry.
Last time I drove through Ohio there were two kinds of billboards, often alternating:
- Jesus hates sinners! Repent!
- Hardcore strip club with naked ladies and full penetration, next right!
It was quite an entertaining dichotomy.
Your experience is very similar to what my trip through SC on I-95 was. But with some occasional regional things. We went a little out away from 95 just to cross buc-ees off the bucket list.