Lexington, Ky. - Lexington city officials say they are "extremely disappointed" that new tourist signage will not arrive ahead of the opening of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Game and are pressing a Virginia contractor to fabricate and ship the signs as soon as possible.
The city's Public Works Commissioner, Mike Webb, said signmaker Architectural Graphics, Inc. (AGI) of Virginia Beach, Va. encountered time-consuming issues in the welding of brackets to the signs, causing the delay in completing the order.
With the Games set to begin on Saturday and expected to attract large numbers of international visitors to the area, the officials said they hope to install at least some of the signs by the middle of next week.
Kevin Wente of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Department of Public Works and Development said he learned on Monday that AGI had discovered the flawed welds in the signs. Wente had been supervising the pouring of foundations for the signs in anticipation of imminent delivery.
Webb said that in the process of locating foundations it was discovered that some of the structures would interfere with or impede access to underground utilities.
AGI project manager Neal Ramsey is quoted in a Lexington Herald Leader article as saying "Some signs have had to be relocated two or three times to get clearance from utility companies. That's where we lost a lot of time." Ramsey said 21 of the signs should arrive in Lexington on Wednesday of next week.
Installation of the signs was subcontracted locally to Arrow Electric. The company told the Herald Leader that although installation would begin immediately after the signs are delivered, it will take up to five days -into the second week of the Games- to install them.
"We have worked so hard to get all of the (WEG related) projects done and we thought that the most impactful signs would be up in time," said Webb. "We're extremely disappointed."
The Urban County council in early July approved a $400,000 bonded contract with the Virginia company to manufacture 100 of the green and white reflective signs in time for installation prior to the World Equestrian Games. Wente said on July 12th he issued a notice to proceed with fabrication of the signs. He said that to date he has authorized a single payment to AGI in the amount of $70,000.
The distinctive design offering directions to various points of interest in and around Lexington features the image a blue horse named "Big Lex."
To view a map indicating with blue dots the locations of the first round of installations, click on http://www.bizlex.com/editorialimport/Sign%20Map.pdf.