New Multi-Million Dollar Wall in Pasco is Already Covered with Graffiti

If you’ve driven north over the Blue Bridge into Pasco recently, then you’ve probably noticed the new enormous cinderblock wall between the bridge (US 395) and the Flamingo Mobile Home Park.

The Washington State Department of Transportation put the project up for bid in 2022 and when it began in early 2023, I, like many, wondered what it was for - and as time went by I watched a massive wall begin to form. Its purpose is to reduce road noise for residents living on the east side of the bridge in the Flamingo Mobile Home Park, which I completely support.

The wall became a blank canvas for taggers and graffiti

Months later, the project is nearing completion – standing tall and grand -  at least a couple of hundred feet or more in length, doing its job, stopping noise. Unfortunately, even before completion, the wall has become a canvas for taggers. It’s covered with graffiti from one end to the next – on both sides (image below). I'm assuming the WSDOT Engineering and Planning Department knew the wall would be an immediate target for graffiti - that's the world we live in. The pillars underneath the Blue Bridge along the bike path (near the wall) have been repeatedly tagged for years and it’s been a struggle for local authorities to keep it clean.

Who is responsible for removing graffiti?

Does the WSDOT have plans to keep it clean? I reached out to the WSDOT and received no response. However, they do have a section on their website dedicated to reporting graffiti. So, I did. The City of Pasco has an excellent Graffiti Abatement Program and has a crew actively covering graffiti and holding offenders responsible. If you see graffiti, report it.