It might seem a little weird to walk through the downtown skywalk system and see a sign for something that no longer exists.

But try to get to a building that’s been around for six years, and the sign doesn’t exist.

That’s the issue facing the skywalk, and why the city of Des Moines is trying to complete a comprehensive signage upgrade by next year.

“There’s been a lot of frustration that a lot of the directories and signs don’t refer yet to the new (Iowa Events Center),” said Gary Fox, city traffic engineer and member of the city’s Skywalk Commission. “We’ve still got a lot of signs up for things like Younkers and some buildings that are closed. We’re lacking current information, and some information we’ve got up is wrong.”

Rather than just fix the incorrect signs, the city has made it a priority to do a systematic upgrade: Revamp the overhead signs to make them up to date; install interactive kiosk directories in some places and update directories in others; install better vertical access signing to better let people know how to enter the system from street level and exit from skywalk level; and even add street signs on the bridges to prevent people from getting disoriented.

“We would be designing the kind of sign-age system and mapping system that doesn’t exist anywhere today,” said Glenn Lyons, president and CEO of the Downtown Community Alliance.

The interactive kiosks would provide a base-level directory map that could be explored more in-depth. Using a touchscreen, users would be able to search “menu-driven” categories to get more details, possibly on restaurants or attractions.

As for the static signs, the city is making it a priority not only to update and redesign hanging signs, but also to find ways to let people know where they can enter and exit the skywalk, and where they will be when they get to street level.

Such improvements will be a big step toward making the system more usable. That is particularly true for people who don’t use the skywalk system on a regular basis.

The City Council last month approved a contract with Push Branding and Design to design the signs and kiosks.

Fox estimated the total cost of design and installation at $740,000, not including the cost of the interactive kiosks for the directory, which Fox projected to cost around $240,000. The city has base funding for the upgrades, but will rely on about $60,000 in private funding to upgrade the directory.

“What we’ve suggested is (that) the basic funding to do the new system would provide a very good sign system, but this additional money to get it to the interactive kiosk would make it a great system,” Fox said.

The city is hoping to have the design work done by the end of the year, and to start installation next spring. That’s in an ideal world, though, as “trying to pull all this stuff together is taking a little bit longer than we anticipated,” Fox said.