WYDOT auctions former Welcome to Wyoming signs
Auction runs July 31 to August 14, 2017
by Wyoming Department of Transportation
July 31, 2017
Transportation enthusiasts, sign collectors or regular citizens interested in Wyoming’s heritage may soon be able to own a piece of Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT) history.
WYDOT will auction off five, 8 by 4 foot aluminum Welcome to Wyoming signs that once greeted travelers to the state. The auction will be held online on the state public surplus website: http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/wyoming,wy/browse/home.
Those interested can click on the "See all" link on the right side of the page, which will show all the auctions that are currently under way. The sign auction will start today (July 31) and end on Aug. 14.
"This is the first time we’ve auctioned off our Welcome to Wyoming signs," said Gregg Fredrick, WYDOT’s chief engineer. "These are a unique aspect of transportation because these are the signs that welcomed visitors to our state every day."
The five signs come from different parts of the state. For each auction, WYDOT has a brief description of the sign location.
WYDOT officials decided to auction off the signs because of a large number of public requests for the decommissioned signs. WYDOT recently replaced its Welcome to Wyoming signs with a new version that matches the state’s license plates.
The department changes the welcome signs whenever the state issues a new license plate. The state changes its license plates every eight years, and the Welcome to Wyoming signs typically last about the same time. After that, the signs need replacement because of normal wear and tear.
"We were getting interest from the public, so we decided to auction off the signs as a way to allow everyone an opportunity to get a sign," Fredrick said. "The money from the auction will go into the highway fund, which will be used to help us take care of our state transportation system."
For additional information about this news release, contact Aimee Inama, senior Public Affairs specialist, at (307) 777-4013.
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