Did you know a New Bedford-based sign shop is assisting with the revitalization of Boston’s beloved CITGO sign?

 

Suffolk Construction began taking apart the 125,000-pound sign piece by piece back in May, starting with the existing letters and trimark logos. The process to dismantle and remove the massive sign took about two months.

 

The sign, which has overlooked Kenmore Square for decades, will be lifted 30 feet higher and shifted 120 feet to the east so it will remain visible within the city’s changing skyline, according to the developers.

 

The repositioning and restoration process includes the construction of a new steel truss that will be built into the sign’s existing anchor platform. The developers have repeatedly assured Bostonians that the sign’s overall height and dimensions will remain the same.

 

New Bedford’s Poyant Signs was tasked with evaluating whether the sign’s original components — specifically the letters and trimark logos — could be safely restored and reused.

 

Poyant Sign’s Jason Fredette told 12 News the structural assessment of the sign uncovered significant deterioration that was likely caused by its exposure to New England’s ever changing weather patterns.

 

That’s why “the best path forward” is to replicate the sign, according to Fredette.

 

“It’s going to be a whole new sign that will match the original sign down to the finest detail,” Fredette explained.

 

See more at wpri.com.