Elmhurst Tests Electronic Sign On Palmer Drive

ELMHURST, IL — The City of Elmhurst has been looking into a possible electronic sign to be installed on the Palmer Drive overpass for both northbound and southbound traffic. According to the city, the electronic sign would replace the banners that are currently displayed weekly on the Palmer Drive overpass bridges.

Right now, the city makes the space on the bridge available for local organizations to announce community activities with banners. However, the city said it continually receives requests from more and more organizations to post their information; but, due to staff time to install the banners, only one group per week is allowed to display their message or event.

The city said an electronic sign would have several benefits. In addition to allowing more community messages to be displayed each week, the city would also have the ability to display public safety announcements when needed, such as amber alerts. Worker safety would also be improved by no longer having to close lanes of traffic to change banners.

Arrangements have been made with a vendor to test a temporary electronic sign rental unit for southbound traffic from the evening of Sept. 26 through the end of the day Sept. 27, the city said. The city is undertaking this test to determine if the sign fits with the character of the area and to gather public feedback.

While the temporary unit will be installed higher and will be larger than the proposed permanent sign, it will provide residents and city staff with an idea of how such a sign may look. The city will be displaying sample messages on the temporary sign to highlight its capabilities.

Image via City of Elmhurst.