Visitors to Northwest Nebraska will now be able to navigate to some of the area’s locations with newly-installed wayfinding signage.
The cities of Chadron, Crawford and Harrison worked with Discover Northwest Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Transportation to design and approve a wayfinding program, starting in late 2022.
“The conversation surrounding wayfinding began with the idea for a single sign for one attraction and blossomed into a much larger discussion on wayfinding throughout the region,” said Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp. “While many people navigate using their phones, there are still visitors who prefer signage, or who do not have adequate cell coverage while visiting Northwest Nebraska. The signs also serve as an enticement to stop for travelers planning to just drive through and as visual reminders to our residents that we have these attractions in our own backyard.”
Chadron has installed eight signs – seven on the right-of-way of Highways 20 and 385 and one on a city-owned street. Crawford is working this week to install seven signs – six on the highway right-of-way and one on city-owned property near the tourism booth. Harrison is set to install three signs along Highway 20. The Village of Harrison also included updated Harrison Next 4 Exits signs and Coffee Park signs in the project to replace the dilapidated versions that already existed.
“We initially requested a total of 29 signs across the three communities, but there are strict regulations on where these signs can be placed and what can be printed on them,” Rempp said. “We had to eliminate 11 signs for a variety of reasons. Nebraska Department of Transportation personnel helped us work through that approval process to balance our desire for wayfinding with highway safety.”
The Heartland Center for Leadership in Lincoln, working with Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation, provided the funding for the signs in Chadron and Crawford. The Coffee Foundation provided funding for Harrison’s signage. Each city contributed installation labor, and Discover Northwest Nebraska provided the administrative labor for the project.
“I’d like to thank our city and funding partners, as well as Elizabeth Chase of the Sandoz Society and Main Street program for the guidance she offered. A big thanks also goes out to Kevin Kubo at Outlaw Printers for the design work to prepare the signs for the printing company, Cornhusker State Industries,” Rempp said. “This particular wayfinding project focused on directing travelers off of the highways and into the communities. The cities have been encouraged to consider additional wayfinding options within their communities.”