Drivers will notice something new as they cross into Montana this summer.
Gov. Steve Bullock unveiled a new generation of “Welcome to Montana” highway signs at a ceremony in Helena yesterday. The state’s Department of Commerce partnered with the Department of Transportation to develop the new signage in-house using photographs taken by Donita Sexton, an award-winning photographer on staff with the Montana Office of Tourism.
There are 11 new and unique signs featuring landscape and wildlife images, including St. Mary Lake and Grinnell Lake in Glacier National Park. Crews will begin replacing 34 signs at border locations across the state beginning this spring.
“The new highway signs will greet visitors and welcome Montanans home in a way we can all be proud of,” said Bullock. “The powerful design and durable, cost-effective manufacturing is the perfect example of effective state government — interagency collaboration addressing the needs of Montanans.”
The new signposts are consistent with the tourism office’s efforts to brand the state domestically and internationally, and MDT had a chance to use new technology to manufacture the signs.
The signs were designed, produced and created in-house. The total cost for the 34 updated signs was $23,593, according to state officials.
The state traditionally used screen printing to create its highway greetings. This was limited to a few colors and took at least a day per color to create. Now MDT is using a high-tech digital printer that can print complex photo-quality signs that are long-lasting and quickly manufactured.
“This was the perfect opportunity to leverage the assets that we’ve built at the Department of Commerce,” said Director Meg O’Leary. “We wanted to create a design that would not only evoke excitement and give the visitor a sense of what’s to come, but also to cement our position that Montana is a premier tourism destination and a great place to do business.”
A map of sign locations can be found here.
“The new signs will give the traveling public a glimpse of Montana’s beauty and encourage them to explore the many authentic experiences Montana has to offer,” Bullock said.