MARYSVILLE — Drivers taking I-5 through Marysville could have an even greater sense of their whereabouts if an idea conceived by the city and the Tulalip Tribes is hatched.
The city and tribes have briefly discussed painting a combined version of their respective logos on the old railroad overpass above I-5 just south of 116th Street NE.
The steel span, currently unused, was recently repainted by the state Department of Transportation to cover many years and layers of graffiti. A catwalk along the south side of the bridge, which made it inviting to graffiti artists, was removed.
The idea for putting the logo on the bridge came out of an agreement between the tribes and the city last spring to work more closely together on issues they have in common, Marysville city administrator Mary Swenson said.
“We thought, ‘How nice it would be to show the community how we’re working together,’ ” she said.
As part of the pact, the city and tribes had a logo designed that combined the insignia of the tribes, a native style orca, with the city’s logo that includes a stylized Mount Pilchuck.
That combined version could be perfect for the bridge, Swenson said.
“If you have something that’s really well done, people tend not to deface it,” she said.
State Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip and general manager of Quil Ceda Village, said the Tribal Council has not made a decision about the idea. Neither has the Marysville City Council, Swenson said.
State traffic engineer Ted Trepanier said the idea would likely get the state’s OK. He said advertising is banned from state or federally owned structures along highways, but not art.
Also, the Tulalips own the bridge.
“I think we’d be allowing something from the perspective that it’s their bridge now,” Trepanier said.
The tribes want to keep the bridge intact so it can be used as a pedestrian walkway if a light rail or other mass transit station is built nearby.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker contributed to this story.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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