Press Kit with Images

RICHMOND, VA. – Virginia is expecting a lot of extra company in the next few years, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wants to help the commonwealth make a good first impression. Between Tues., Nov. 22, and Sun., Dec. 4, the public can vote for a favorite design for the sign that welcomes travelers to the Old Dominion.

“Most of the welcome signs are about 14 years old, and we need to replace them,” said Connie S. Sorrell, VDOT’s chief of systems operations. “The reflective sheeting has faded badly, and the design is dated. It’s a great time to consider a fresh design. We want the public to choose the signs’ design for the future.”

Five new designs plus the existing design will be available for public voting through a special link on www.VirginiaDOT.org starting at 8 a.m., Nov. 22, through Dec. 4. Travelers stopping at Virginia’s 11 Welcome Centers from Nov. 28 through Dec. 4 can vote on paper ballots. Persons without Internet access can cast a vote by calling toll-free 1-866-340-9342.

The design receiving the most votes will be declared the winner. The winning design will be announced in mid-December. If a new design is selected, an event to unveil the first sign with the new design will be held before April 22, 2006, the start of Historic Garden Week, when many garden and history lovers visit Virginia.

There are approximately 90 “Welcome to Virginia” signs statewide. Fabricating replacements with a new design is estimated to cost less than $100,000, or about $8,400 each year for the 12-year warranty of the sign material.

Improvements to several state Welcome Centers and rest area facilities are also in the works. The 2005 Virginia General Assembly allocated $20 million toward rest area improvements. VDOT plans to spend approximately $17 million to rebuild facilities in the I-81 Clear Brook/Winchester and I-64 New Kent westbound areas, and one on I-95 in either Fredericksburg or Caroline County, depending on the sites’ feasibility. The work will begin in early 2006. The remaining $3 million will be spent for improvements and repairs to a dozen rest areas along I-64, I-66 and I-81, also beginning in early 2006.

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Page last modified: April 18, 2007