New London — Starting Monday, crews will begin installing dozens of new signs in the city’s Cultural District.

The $860,000 project financed by the city seeks to improve downtown navigation and exploration. The signs, vibrant in color and expansive in size, are a part of the effort to showcase the city’s arts and cultural scene.

The project is set to be completed in two phases over the next 60 days. The first phase includes gateways set to align the city’s most prominent streets, a series of patterned placemaking pillars on Eugene O’Neil Drive and the city’s waterfront, and pedestrian kiosks with large maps of New London replacing the existing signs throughout downtown.

The second phase, installed alongside the first, will enhance road signs and expand parking identification for drivers. The new bright, modern and colorful designs aim to boost confidence among visitors that the city’s downtown is an inviting and pedestrian-friendly place, according to Felix Reyes, New London’s director of economic development and planning.

“We are rebuilding our downtown by utilizing its current and historical assets and making capital improvements to not only highlight them but also become a new economic engine in Southeastern Connecticut,” Reyes said on Friday.

In recent months, the city has invested in cleaning up the streets, adding blue light emergency phone towers and increasing light quality at night. By making aesthetic and safety improvements, the city will attract more business and economic development, Reyes said.

“People will feel that this is a necessary expense if the city of New London truly is looking to magnify its tourism,” Reyes said on Friday.

Local businesses, artists and stakeholders wanted the signage to be a testament to the city’s creative history. By showcasing colorful and bold colors, tourists are immersed in New London’s vibrant, artistic culture.

It’s all about a vibe. It's all about a certain energy that has to reflect the people that use the space,“ Reyes said.

Guide Studio, a Cleveland, Ohio-based wayfinding design company, designed the signs. ACSM Design+Build of Harrisburg, N.C. fabricated the signs and will install them.

t.wright@theday.com