BEDFORD – The Welcome to Bedford sign on State Road 37 is an iconic landmark for travelers entering from the south side of the city.
Mounted on a towering derrick once used to quarry limestone, the sign has been greeting motorists since the late 1970s. However, the derrick and sign are showing their age and need to be repaired.
The city received a $100,000 matching grant from Regional Opportunities Initiative through the group’s Ready Communities 2.0 program. The funds will be utilized to refurbish the city’s aging Welcome to Bedford sign placed on State Road 37, which has been around since the 1970s, as well as to install the Land of Limestone exhibit at StoneGate Arts and Education Center.
The Bedford Board of Works received two bids for the derrick project. McIntyre Brothers submitted a bid of $219,433.88 and Infinity Solution Excavating Inc. submitted a bid of $113,662.19. Both bids were taken under advisement.
The Bedford Board of Works approved $35,600 for the cut letters and vinyl graphics and the installation of the Land of Limestone exhibit.
The display at the Stonegate Arts and Education Center documents the Limestone Industry in Bedford from 1850 -1910 with photographs of landscaping tools. The exhibit will be open in time for the Limestone Heritage Festival June 23-24.
