Monday, February 08, 1999
Overhead messages soon to go
Middletown plans overpass overhauls
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — The messages in big, bold, blue letters scream, “I love Irene,” and “I Õ you Nickie.” They greet motorists as they drive under railroad overpasses on Nelbar Street and Ohio 73.
Someone memorialized “Budda” on the concrete pillars supporting the Ohio 73 overpass. And a nearby scrawl reads, “Bill Makes me Smile.”
But nobody's smiling when they look at the gateway eyesores. And graffiti artists who have used the railroad overpasses as canvases soon will see their masterpieces vanish.
The hideous, rusty trestles will be painted and spruced up later this year, covering up the graffiti and the love messages.
The city is even considering putting the city seal or a slogan on the overpasses because they are on two busy thoroughfares and could serve as a welcome to visitors, said Susan Davis, assis tant city manager.
It will be the first time in at least two decades, and maybe ever, that the eyesores have been tackled, said Preston Combs, Middletown public works director.
“They're horrible,” Mr. Combs said. “I'm not sure if they've ever been painted. ... We get quite a few complaints about the one on Nelbar because it's in a residential area. We hear some complaints about the one on Ohio 73; but it's out a ways, so there's not as much said about it.”
But despite the plea of residents for many years, “we can't take care of them. They belong to Conrail,” and Conrail officials have long said they had no program for overpass aesthetics, Mr. Combs said.
Mike Scime, Conrail community relations manager, said the company has 10,000 to 15,000 overpasses in the country, and keeping them safe is the issue, not making them pretty.
But Middletown recently agreed to close the railroad crossing on North Avenue be cause there are others close by. That closing provides substantial benefits to Conrail, including eliminating a potential safety risk, Mr. Scime said. In exchange, the company decided to make money available that can be used to paint the overpasses, he said.
Because Conrail can't give money directly to the city, it has donated $13,350 to the nonprofit Middletown Community Foundation, said Ginger Smith, public works senior administrative assistant, who worked with Mr. Scime on the project.
Mr. Combs said the city may have to add to the fund to get all the work done.
It can't come too soon, Ms. Davis said.
“They are so nasty, so ugly,” she said. “They would look so much better with just some new paint.” But the city hopes to take it a step further with a seal or other way to make them attractive, she said.
“We've been talking about ways to promote a positive image. ... Appearance plays a big part in promoting a good image.”
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