Along the east bench, there is a tagging epidemic. It looks bad and it’s potentially dangerous. Sunday, an ABC 4 viewer contacted the station about highway signs over the Eats Belt of I-215 at the I-80/Foothill Boulevard Ramp that had been covered in graffiti. ABC 4 took action and called The Utah Department of Transportation. It didn’t know about the mess, but promised to get it cleaned up first thing Monday. We have the results.
The graffiti is more than a nuisance; it’s downright dangerous on a number of levels. First, the signs are unreadable. They are supposed to direct northbound travelers on the East Belt of I-215 to I-80 or Foothill Boulevard.
“It’s really a safety concern for us because those people, especially those not familiar with the area, they need to make a decision on where to go and they can’t see which direction they need to be,” explains Adan Carrillio, Spokesman for UDOT.
Second, UDOT says the taggers involved seem to have no regard for their own safety or the well-being of drivers below.
“These guys that are getting up there in the middle of the night and they have limited visibility. One mis-step could cost them their lives. Or a dropped can could fall on traffic underneath. It could be pretty catastrophic,” adds Carrillo.
UDOT has no idea who is responsible for the vandalism, but they took immediate action to protect drivers. First thing Monday morning, crews began the all-day process of cleaning up. The cost to tax-payers is around $2,000. It could have been more, but crews were actually able to use advanced chemicals to wipe away the spray paint.
“If we had waited any longer, we would have had to replace the signs completely,” says Carrillo.
Now UDOT is begging the public for help. If drivers see anything suspicious on the freeways, they are asked to call 911 immediately.
UDOT says the signs over the I-215 in the area get hit two to three times a year. It’s easy for taggers to climb up the pole and walk across the cat walk to the signs.
UDOT is now looking at ways to prevent the vandalism and protect the vandals. One way is to install graffiti plates, which are metal plates that are bolted near structures at different angles to make it harder to access the area. Another possibility is a clear, protective sealer that is sprayed over the signs to make it easier to wipe off graffiti.
