New Gateway Monument Welcomes Travelers to Eureka's Southern Entrance

Caltrans and the City of Eureka are celebrating the completion of a new gateway monument near the Herrick Avenue interchange, creating an enhanced welcome to the southern entrance of the city along U.S. 101.

The City of Eureka has long envisioned a gateway monument to welcome residents, visitors and travelers entering the city. Through Governor Gavin Newsom's Clean California initiative, Caltrans and the City partnered to design and build the new monument as a lasting community feature that reflects Eureka's identity and sense of place.

"This gateway monument is a lasting investment in how people experience Eureka," said Julia Peterson, Caltrans District 1 Clean California Project Manager. "We're proud to partner with the City of Eureka and local designers and builders to fund and create a welcoming feature that reflects the community and will greet residents and visitors for years to come."

The monument was designed by local architect Julian Berg with input from the Eureka Arts and Culture Commission and the City of Eureka, and was approved by the Eureka City Council. Construction was completed by local business Allpoints Signs, owned by Geoff Wills.

The gateway monument also completes a phase of improvements at Eureka's southern entrance, following Clean California-funded murals at the Herrick Avenue overpass, on retaining walls along South Broadway, and at the Herrick Park and Ride. The area around the new monument will be hydroseeded with a mix that includes California poppies, adding seasonal color to the upgraded gateway area. Together, the improvements create a more welcoming entrance for people traveling to and from Eureka along U.S. 101.

The project is part of Clean California's broader effort to beautify public spaces, strengthen community pride and improve the experience of people traveling through California communities.

Since launching Clean California in July 2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up 3.8 million cubic yards of litter from highways and public spaces - the equivalent of filling more than 180,000 residential garbage trucks with debris and trash. Caltrans has hosted more than 650 free dump days in communities throughout the state - resulting in the collection of 15,500-plus mattresses and 57,000 tires.

The initiative has drawn more than 10,000 community clean-up volunteers and created 18,267 jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.

For more information about transportation and other infrastructure projects funded with state and federal investments, visit build.ca.gov.

Contact: Myles Cochrane

Email: [email protected]

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