Freeway American Flag Painted Over-deemed Graffito by CALTRANS

Freeway Flag UPDATE: Governor Criticizes Removal - News Story - KTVU San Francisco

American flag and a pair of power line towers follow a ridge line above Interstate 680. The next exit is Exit 18B, Sheridan Road.

Posted: 10:05 pm PDT July 1, 2010Updated: 5:30 pm PDT July 2, 2010

SUNOL, CAlif. -- UPDATE: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday that he was unhappy that the California Department of Transportation has painted over a mural of an American flag on a concrete slab near the Sunol Grade section of Interstate Highway 680 in unincorporated Alameda County near Sunol.

In a prepared statement, Schwarzenegger called the flag patriotic and meaningful.

He said that to remove the flag, "only a few days before we celebrate our independence and reflect on the freedoms we are lucky enough to enjoy in America is unconscionable. I extend my apologies to the artists whose mural inspired drivers along 680 for over eight and a half years."

Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Andrea McCarthy said the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which oversees Caltrans, "will work with the community and the artists to try to reach a resolution."

Interstate 680, in and out of the Silicon Valley, is one of the bay area's busiest freeways. And everyday for the last eight and half years there was a hillside mural motorists passed on the Sunol grade.

"It just made me feel really patriotic, just seeing it everyday," said motorcyclist Dave Freely.

Until Wednesday, motorists saw a 35 foot mural of the American flag painted on a concrete retaining wall.

On Thursday, it was just gray concrete painted over by Caltrans.

"It was put on the list for graffiti removal and yesterday morning they painted over it with grey concrete paint," said Allyn Amsk of Caltrans.

"It should not be classified as graffiti. I mean it was a well done flag and and I felt like it's part of America," objected the flag muralist Eric Noda.

About a week after 9-11. Eric Noda was photographed roller painting the flag mural. It took him three hours to finish.

He and friends R.J. Waldron and Thomas Hanley picked the spot to express their patriotism after the terrorist attack.

"It's kind of a landmark for me and it reminds me of that day and the time in the wake of 9-11," said Noda.

But why did Caltrans wait so long to remove the flag?

"Maintenance wasn't aware that it was on the state right-of-way or you know it would have been removed sometime in the past," said Amsk.

Regular 680 commuters said they were upset.

"I don't know why they would consider it graffiti. We live in America. It should be a patriotic symbol that everybody should enjoy," said Joseph Gross of Tri-Valley Towing.

Sandy Kraft said, "I drive this every day and to not see it up there waving at me, even though it doesn't wave, it's still waving at you."

The flag muralists say they plan to approach Caltrans for permission to repaint the flag in time for the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

A Caltrans spokesman said they can apply through proper procedures for what they call transportation art.

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There much more to this story though. The Flag paining was vandalized with 'gang-style' offensive graffiti. Unfortunately CALTRANS didn't deem that as offensive gang graffiti, not wanting to 'offend', so a guy from Idaho, then several locals and the original painter repaired the flag.

No, the State paintied over the 'offending' flag. Question: why is not CALTRANS painting over the 'rainbows' on the entrances to the Marin County Waldo Tunnels on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge?

From Wikipedia: Waldo Tunnel is the unofficial name of a tunnel on U.S. Route 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito. It is named after Waldo Point along Richardson Bay between Sausalito and Mill Valley. Waldo Point is named after William Waldo, who ran unsuccessfully as a Whig candidate for governor of California in 1853.

The first bore of the tunnel was completed in 1937 and the second in 1954. The archways at the ends of the bores were painted in rainbows by a Caltrans employee, Robert Halligan, and for this reason the tunnel is occasionally referred to as the Rainbow Tunnel.