Wayfinding signs to be erected by city in time for national Route 66 event

The city of Springfield is installing 58 new wayfinding signs in advance of the National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff Celebration.

This is just one way the city intends to roll out the red carpet for visitors – not just for the national Route 66 celebration, set for April 29-May 3, but also for the FIFA World Cup, which will have games in Kansas City June 16-July 11 and for a year’s worth of celebrations planned by Greene County officials for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

The new signs will replace existing wayfinding signs – shield-shaped markers in hues of deep red and green, erected in 2010. Springfield Business Journal reporting from the time showed $330,000 was approved by council for the project from the quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax.

More than 15 years later, some of the familiar markers are in poor repair. Eleven signs will be removed without replacement, while other signs will be replaced or supplemented with new ones.

It’s an issue City Manager David Cameron raised at a Jan. 6 public listening session.

“My staff knows – I drive different routes to work just to see what it looks like, and, like, does anybody notice that the gateway signs don’t say what they used to say?” he asked. “Some do; some don’t.”

Signage lacking
One example seemed especially problematic to Cameron.

“When our gateway signs don’t have the appropriate spelling for Bass Pro and you’re missing the B, it’s kind of like hard to be promoting one of the world’s largest retailers,” he said. “It’s like hey, this is ‘Welcome to the city,’ and we need to do a good job of taking care of those things.”

The issue was also raised by Rusty Worley, a member of the Citizens’ Advisory Board, at a Jan. 22 meeting of that body. He noted the city is making a dedicated effort to bring people in for the Route 66 celebration, but signage is lacking.

Brett Foster, assistant director of public works, said the signage project is in motion.

“The majority of all the wayfinding signs outside the interstate will be replaced before the Route 66 festival,” Brett Foster reported. “That’s our goal. We already have the contractor in place; we already have the signs sitting in our shop, so we’re on top of that.”

Cora Scott, director of public information and community engagement, said a contract was awarded to Advanced Highway Sign and Supply LLC for $124,065 for sign installation, with an incentive deadline of April 1 for completion of the project. She said the project is funded through a 50/50 Missouri Tourism Grant in the amount of $30,000 with the remainder to come from the quarter-cent capital improvement/transportation sales tax.

Scott said the wayfinding sign project was underway before Springfield was chosen as the national kickoff city for the Route 66 centennial celebration.

“The wayfinding signs have needed to be updated for many years,” she said. “It’s going to be a nice refresh in our community just to help navigate tourists through the city.”

Of course, Springfield will also see tourism for its annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, held downtown each August and bringing in visitors from nearly all 50 states and multiple countries.

Bob Dixon, Greene County presiding commissioner, said a yearlong lineup of semiquincentennial events will kick off March 8 with the American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit at the courthouse.

Asked if he anticipates outside visitation, Dixon replied, “We sure do. We’re going to have a lot of participation.”

The full lineup of events has not yet been completed, he said, but among them is an April 19 Sons of the American Revolution Ozark Mountain Chapter reenactment of the “shot heard ’round the world” – the first shot at the Battles of Lexington and Concord to begin the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. The event, with costumed reenactors in period regalia and carrying muskets, will be held on the bridge at Phelps Grove Park.

Other initiatives
Scott said the signs are not the only way the city is engineering a welcome for visitors. A cleanup effort is also in the works.

On Feb. 2, City Council approved a Clean Green Waste Impact Initiative to fund year-round litter removal along major corridors. A $3 waste impact fee is assessed per ton of waste at the city’s Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill, generating $1.2 million annually to support litter removal, according to the city’s website. With that funding, city crews perform daily litter collection along major entry points and corridors, and vendor partnerships are funded for large-scale and routine corridor cleaning alike.

“Trash and litter along our major corridors impact Springfield’s image, quality of place and overall environmental health,” said Errin Kemper, director of environmental services, on the city’s Environmental Services website. “This initiative takes a comprehensive approach to addressing those impacts head-on.”

Scott said the annual spring cleanup initiative called Clean Green Springfield has grown over the years, but it’s going to be amped up with more involvement from various organizations paired up with what the city is calling its Clean Team.

This is a team of 25 hired workers who will help with litter control and cleanup. Scott said temporary employees are being hired to get started quickly, and soon they will include additional help from organizations like Victory Mission and Ministry, which works on issues of poverty and homelessness.

Additionally, city officials are looking at refreshing banners along the Route 66 corridor and adding them to other high-traffic spots in the city. Those banners will be up for an entire year.

It was just over a year ago, in January 2025, when former Mayor Ken McClure challenged city residents to spruce up the city in preparation for the 2026 celebrations.

In a proclamation, McClure encouraged residents and businesses to take what he called simple steps, like volunteering for litter pickup opportunities, sorting recyclables properly and participating in cleanup events.

Scott said McClure stepped forward and came to her department to say he wanted to put a charge out for people to come together for a cleaner, more beautiful city.

Importance of wayfinding signage

Scott said wayfinding signage has a strong return on investment.

“Wayfinding signs go above and beyond identifying Route 66,” she said. “The return on investment is that when tourists come to our city, they know where all the amenities are – all the things we hope they take advantage of.”

An AAA survey about Route 66 travel projections in 2026 shows 41% of all U.S. adults plan to visit at least a portion of Route 66 in 2026, with 15% more expressing interest after learning about the Mother Road’s centennial.

Scott said research shows that when people drive Route 66, they don’t stick to the Mother Road.

“They take in amenities all around specific Route 66 communities and also beyond,” she said. “We are planning for the fact that people will visit everything our region has to offer.”

Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of Visit Springfield, Missouri, said wayfinding is vital to communities for at least three reasons.

First, when someone gets to town, there is a functional need to help them find their way.

“It gives them a sense of confidence,” he said. “No one likes to be lost.”

Signage can also contribute to beautification, he said.

“It shows the community cares,” he said. “It showcases the city in a nice way.”

Importantly, Hecquet said, wayfinding signage serves as a 24-hour marketing resource, promoting destination points and creating awareness about what the city has to offer. If a visitor doesn’t get to an attraction on the first visit, at least there is an awareness of what’s available for a potential return trip.

“It’s a low-hanging fruit of opportunity,” he said.

The signs that are being erected are simpler than the ones that are now in place, and they are also easier to replace if information requires updating or if one is damaged.

Hecquet said the new signage is a cost-conscious alternative to meet visitor needs.

“Any time you bring in visitors, there’s a simple adage: You want to create a great first impression – a sense of arrival,” he said.

Hecquet also highlighted the Queen’s Gate 66 monument, an art installation going in on St. Louis Street near the intersection of Glenstone Avenue through a $1 million state allocation.

The sense of arrival will be especially notable at that entrance into the downtown area, according to Hecquet.

“It gives you a sense of happiness – you’ve arrived where you want to be,” he said.