You see them over roads and highways across Colorado. Those big, electronic, pixelated signs. They have messages like:
“Crash three miles ahead, right lane closed.”
“Don’t drink and drive.”
They’re called Variable Messaging Signs, or VMS. And they’re meant to help keep drivers safe. But on one roadway in the Denver metro, those signs get a clever twist.
“Feast your eyes on the road for Thanksgiving.”
“‘Tis the season to buckle up.”
“Texting and driving? Oh cell no!”
These are actual VMS texts that have appeared along E-470, which wraps around the east side of Denver from Broomfield up north to Douglas County down south.
For one Aurora family, some of those signs really make them smile.
“I really look forward to reading all of the signs,” said Andrea Aldridge. For her and her 7 and 9-year-old kids, that love is a family affair.
“I know they're going to have something new and creative each time,” she said.
So Aldridge reached out to our series Colorado Wonders to ask about who writes those catchy phrases.
In today’s world of Artificial Intelligence, it’d be easy to assume the funny, punny road signs are computer-generated. But they’re actually made the old-fashioned way by a small group sitting around a table inside the E-470 headquarters in Aurora.
At all of the brainstorming sessions is Shelby Costello, E-470 Communications & Public Affairs Supervisor, and Emily Young, who is a marketing specialist for the toll road. And while making up the messages is fun, it’s not easy.
“I want it to be fun and entertaining [for the reader], but also it has to fit on a sign so it can only be so many words,” Costello said. “So you can come up with an idea, then you have to dial it back a little bit so it's actually feasible to put on these signs.”
Young added, “It takes probably a good hour of Shelby and I going back and forth, brainstorming about fun things and getting inspiration.”
And while the puns are unique, there’s another reason why these signs are rare. You won’t find them on most highways around the state.
It all comes down to federal funding, according to E-470 executive director Joe Donahue. Since E-470 is not a state or federal highway. It’s funded by tolls and fees. So it’s not really bound as tightly to sign regulations created by the Federal Highway Administration, which updated the rules around creative road signage in 2024.
“So we follow the guidelines, but we're not required to because when you get federal funding, they're watching you and you lose your funding, you lose your grants, you lose your loans,” Donahue said.
That means Young and Costello can really have fun with the signs, while of course always keeping them focused on safety. But some of the things they try can prove to be a dead-end. There’s one in particular that staff had to pull pretty quickly from the highway:
“Skeleton X-ing. Watch the Road”
It was a play on Halloween, with a skull and crossbones icon alongside the words. Costello admitted that one crossed a line.
“We had a customer reach out and say, ‘I was confused by that message.’ And we immediately pulled it from rotation,” she said. “We always lead with safety and clarity before creativity.”
Young added that the skeleton message made some drivers think they had to be on the lookout for something actually dangerous ahead.
“It kind of created a little sense of fear.”
But overall, the signs are very well received, so much so that it’s made Young a bit of a mini-celebrity around town.
“This is actually probably one of the most exciting parts of my job. And when people find out that I'm the person behind the VMS, they're like, ‘Oh my gosh, no way. I love those signs.’ It is really rewarding, honestly.”
Drivers like Aldridge take those signs to heart, and she hopes they keep having an impact on her kids.
“It’s reminding people to be safe, but in a fun and creative way. And you remember them, “ she said, “And when my 7-year-old can drive? He’ll be safe.”
Colorado Wonders
This story is part of our Colorado Wonders series, where we answer your burning questions about Colorado. Curious about something? Go to our Colorado Wonders page to ask your question or view other questions we've answered.
