Roadside Attractions: Arizona’s New Highway Signs
Stylized artwork welcomes motorists into Arizona on our new interstate signs.
By Rebecca L. Rhoades
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, more than 55 million travelers pass through our state by way of our highway system and, beginning this year, they are being greeted by picturesque depictions of the amazing sites they can visit during their stay. Found at each of Arizona’s 29 entry points, new roadside welcome signs tout six iconic landmarks— Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Sedona’s Red Rocks, Horseshoe Bend, Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument—rendered in a bold posterized style. The graphic imagery, created by local artist Dan Shewmaker, is “artwork that is worthy of hanging on your wall,” notes Josh Coddington, director of communications for the Arizona Office of Tourism, which produced the signs. They replace the aging state flag signage that had been in use for more than two decades.