Visitors to Northwest Nebraska will soon be able to navigate to some of the area’s locations with so-called “wayfinding signage.”
New signs have already been installed in Chadron and are in the process of going up in Crawford with Harrison to follow shortly.
Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp says “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.”
Rempp says signs may also catch the attention of travelers just planning to drive through and convince them to stop while reminding residents of attractions in their own backyard.
Discover Northwest Nebraska and the 3 towns have been working with the Nebraska Dept of Transportation on the project for nearly two years and Rempp says they wound up with about half the number of signs they’d hoped for.
Rempp says most of the rejected Chadron signs fell victim to state rules that don’t allow signs for both east and west traffic at the same spot or intersection.
As for Crawford, it’s getting 7 signs with 6 on the highway right of way and one on city-owned property near the tourism booth.
Harrison will get 3 wayfinding signs on Hwy 20 but is also replacing its dilapidated “Harrison Next 4 Exits” and Coffee Park signs with new and improved versions.
Despite her disappointment over not getting as many signs as she’d hoped, Rempp has lots of praised for the NDOT staffers who worked with her and all 3 communities to find sites that “balance our desire for wayfinding with highway safety.”
The Heartland Center for Leadership in Lincoln, working with Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation, used a federal grant for signs in Chadron and Crawford while the Coffee Foundation provided funding for Harrison’s signs.
Each town provided labor for installation, Discover Northwest Nebraska handled administrative duties, and the Dawes County Travel Board awarded the project a grant to cover any remaining costs.
Rempp hopes these aren’t the last wayfinding signs that will go up in Chadron, Crawford, or Harrison with all 3 communities encouraged to look for other wayfinding options of their own.