Cody and Powell’s Gateway Signs Get an Upgrade

The gateway signs on the outskirts of Cody are in the process of being updated and are in the middle of the “ugly duckling” phase of their transformation. We understand many in the community have questions, and we want to clarify what’s happening with the signs and the process taken to get us to this point.

The original signs at the entrance to Cody—both on the West Strip and by the airport on the Greybull Highway—have been in place since the 1980s. Their deterioration caught the attention of the City three or four years ago, and discussions began. It was clear it was time to look at how to update the signs while remaining true to who we are as a destination. The Park County Park Travel Council (PCTC) board voted to approve Destination Development funds for the signs and headed up the project.

We contacted Powell and Meeteetse to bring them into the conversation during the budgeting process. Powell decided to update their gateway signs, but Meeteetse declined the offer as they had recently repainted their gateway signs.

The Design Process

Enoch Hart with Wyoming Signs came on board to look at the existing signs and help determine the best path forward. For the old signs, he recommended reusing the base to save on cost as well as reshaping the sign cabinet to adjust for the future designs.

From there, over fifty designs were considered. Ryan Hauck, former Executive Director of PCTC, PCTC Staff and board, and the Wyoming Signs design team narrowed the choices. Difficult-to-manufacture designs were rejected. Ultimately, this group narrowed the choices to three designs for each city. The respective city councils gave feedback for design tweaks and made the final decision.

Wyoming Signs says the signs with the altered cabinet boxes will feature a digital design printed on aluminum and should stand the test of time. LED lights will light up the city names, and the city seals will grace the bottom of the monuments. The signs have come in and look fantastic.

Two New Signs to be Added

In addition to the two Powell signs at its gateways, two additional signs will be added in Cody using prefabricated monuments. One will be placed off the Belfry Highway and the other off the Powell Highway.

We had hoped to have the signs completed in a short period of time while the weather was still nice. However, the permitting process for the new signs with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) took time. Determining the safest location for the signs and how to add electricity access were a part of the process.

At this point, we estimate the work on all signs will be completed at the end of October. We debated adding a temporary facade, such as a banner, during this ugly duckling phase of the process, but decided against it as it could diminish the welcoming experience we want to provide.

We are all Park County residents too, and hate to see our signs in the phase they’re in. Please know we are working towards fixing them as soon as possible and look forward to seeing the new signs in place. Until then, we appreciate your patience.

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