First Welcome Sign Erected in Sacramento County

Visitors entering the California Delta from Sacramento County are now greeted by a new “ENTERING CALIFORNIA DELTA” sign.   The sign (photo right) is located on Highway 160 at Freeport, just across the highway from the Freeport Bar and Grill.    The new sign is the fourth to be erected along state highways in the Delta by the Discover the Delta Foundation in cooperation with roadside property owners and the California Department of Transportation.   The sign at Freeport welcomes visitors traveling south along the highway.   The four-foot-by-eight-foot signs have a maroon background and include a full color drawing that was created by the late Marty Stanley, a long time Delta artist.   Funding for the Freeport sign was provided by Sacramento County.  

In addition, the Foundation has placed another sign on the west side of Interstate 5, just south of Stockton in San Joaquin County. That sign can be seen by travelers driving in both directions. The purpose of the foundation’s sign project is to increase the awareness of the boundaries of the Delta.  

The new signs join two others that the foundation has placed on the Highway 12 entrances to the Delta.   TheFoundation placed a sign on the north side the Highway 12 near the Tower Park Resort. The sign, located in San Joaquin County, can be seen by travelers driving west into the Delta. Funding for that sign was provided by the California Delta Chambers and Visitor’s Bureau. Unfortunately, that sign was stolen, so a replacement was placed on the site.  

The fourth signs has been placed along the south side of Highway 12 near the entrance the Trilogy development west of Rio Vista in Solano County. That sign is located on a small hill and can be easily seen by eastbound motorists traveling into the Delta.  

Foundation volunteers are continuing to negotiate with more property owners in order to place the rest of the signs.   When the sign project is completed at the end of 2008, 12 signs will be placed on the state highways.   Some of the other signs to be located include those at Highway 84 at Valdez in Sacramento County, Highway 4 at Pittsburg and Antioch in Contra Costa County, Highway 4 and I-5 at Stockton and along Highway 205 and I-5 at Mossdale in San Joaquin County.  

The Soundation’s state highway sign projects augments a similar project involving creating welcome signs on county roads that is being conducted by the Delta Protection Commission and the five Delta counties.   These signs have green backgrounds and include the name of each county.