PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has hired a contractor to help increase the graffiti cleanup effort along Portland freeways.
"This is not a happy thing for us to be taking on right now," said ODOT spokesperson Don Hamilton. "But we're trying to attack this as best we can."
River City Environmental will clean the following areas through the end of June:
- Interstate 5, between I-205 and the Interstate Bridge
- Interstate 205, between the Abernethy Bridge and the Columbia River
- Interstate 405
No lanes will be closed during the cleaning. Crews will paint over graffiti visible from the freeways, including sound walls and bridge pillars on the right shoulder, ODOT said.
ODOT said the graffiti problem is getting worse along freeways. Crews have seen graffiti reappear within days of covering it.
"That's not unusual at all," Hamilton said. "That's just an indication of how bad the problem is."
After the contract ends, ODOT maintenance crews will continue their cleanup efforts.