Transportation

Caltrans seeking input on sculptural concept for Hollister project

Caltrans has two Clean California projects in San Benito County.
Highway 25 between East Street and Tres Pinos Road. Photo by Noe Magaña.
Highway 25 between East Street and Tres Pinos Road. Photo by Noe Magaña.
Photo from Council of San Benito County Governments agenda packet.
Photo from Council of San Benito County Governments agenda packet.
Concept design for Washington Street underpass mural. Courtesy of San Benito Council of Governments.

Caltrans announced it is seeking public input on the sculptural concept “Woven” that has been selected for installation at the corner of Hwy 25 and Meridian Street in Hollister. The survey can be completed here. According to the project’s website, “Woven” is a geometric sculpture that interlaces painted aluminum panels to create a beautiful interplay of color, light and shadows.

The project is funded by the Caltrans Clean California State Highway Beautification Program, an initiative intending to transform public spaces and create more distinctive community identity.

“Your feedback on this survey will help us finalize the development of this work of art into one that is reflective of your collective voice,” the release said. 

According to the project’s website, the concept is inspired by Hollister’s landscape, agricultural history, and the communal effort of tending to and harvesting from the land.

According to the website, the artist and sculptor James Peterson is based in Los Angeles. 

“A self-proclaimed materials and processes geek influenced by nature, geometry and the development of organic matter, James merges art and technology with sustainable resources and practices whenever possible,” the website states. 

According to a map from Caltrans, Hollister’s Clean California project includes Hwy 25 between Santa Ana Road and Sunset Drive. Caltrans District 5 Transportation Art Coordinator Corby Kilmer has said the budget for the project is $1.02 million.

According to the Council of San Benito County Governments (COG) March 16 meeting agenda packet, the project includes plant shade trees and dense, colorful landscaping along pedestrian sidewalks and sound walls, enhanced sidewalk paving, artistic relief elements on sound walls highlighting neighborhood cross streets and utility box murals focused on Pinnacles National Park themes. 

The second Clean California project is the San Juan Bautista Washington Street Bridge Structure which includes a mural on bridge walls, decorative slope paving to fix erosion, replacing worn out right-of-way fencing, shade trees and a rock blanket or inert materials or mulch to suppress weeds.

Construction for both projects is scheduled to begin Spring 2023.

 

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Noe Magaña

Noe Magaña is BenitoLink Co-Editor and Content Manager. He joined BenitoLink as reporter intern and was soon brought on staff as a BenitoLink reporter. He also experiments with videography and photography. He is a San Benito High School alumnus with a bachelor's in journalism from San Jose State and a Liberal Arts Associate's Degree from Gavilan College. Noe also attended San Jose City College and was the managing editor for the City College Times, the school's newspaper. He was a reporter and later a copy editor for San Jose State's Spartan Daily. He is a USC Center for Health Journalism 2020 California Fellow.