Caltrans Celebrates Gateway Monuments in Gold-Rush Era Region That Welcomes Visitors and Celebrates Local Culture

Clean California Project Includes Silhouettes Featuring Railroad, Logging, Western, Fishing, and Recreation Themes

Tuolumne County – Today, Caltrans, alongside local partners, celebrated the California Tuolumne Gateway Project, which will showcase the region’s unique identity and guide highway travelers through its rich past and vibrant present.

The event, held at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, featured a 19th-century steam locomotive that served as both a backdrop for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and as inspiration for part of the project.

In February, the project's first phase was completed with the installation of rustic brown metal “COLUMBIA” signs at the corner of State Route 49 and Parrots Ferry Road. These signs, welcoming visitors to the historic gold-rush town, transformed what was once an empty dirt lot into a meaningful gateway.

Over the last few weeks, decorative metal silhouettes were installed on overpasses along State Route 108. They depict a steam locomotive, train car, and handcart reminiscent of those operated on the historic Sierra Railway; a pattern of oak leaves and feathers honoring the Indigenous Me-Wuk tribes; ranchers and lumberjacks recognizing the industry that helped shape the region’s economy; and rafters, a skier and snowboarder, and a fisherman that pay tribute to the area's abundant recreational offerings.

Watch video from the Tuolumne Gateway Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

“Collectively, these silhouettes will turn this stretch of highway into a visual journey through the region's past and present,” said Caltrans District Director Grace Magsayo.

This beautification project was made possible by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative – a sweeping, $1.2 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, and join with communities throughout the state to reclaim, transform, and beautify public spaces.

The Tuolumne Gateway Project exemplifies collaboration, representing local voices and employing local businesses. Caltrans’ concept for the silhouettes aligned with Sonora’s Vision Sonora Plan, a community-driven project funded by a Caltrans grant. Together, these ideas were refined by a native Sonoran graphic artist, with installation work carried out by local contractors and subcontractors.

Clean California has funded 319 projects statewide to revitalize and beautify underserved communities. Projects are enhancing public spaces, tribal lands, parks, neighborhoods, transit centers, walking paths, roadways, recreation fields, community gathering areas, and places of cultural significance or historical interest in underserved communities.

Since July 2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up more than 2.9 million cubic yards of litter – enough to cover nine lanes of Interstate 5 with trash from the Mexican border to Oregon. Caltrans also 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 enlisted more than 72,000 community clean-up volunteers and created thousands of jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about how Clean California is transforming communities and how you can get involved.