What are the new structures greeting motorists along Highway 99 in Merced?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Merced installed artistic gateway monuments along Highway 99 using state funding.
- The $1.2M Clean California grant supported monuments, signs and mural projects.
- The structures spotlight local icons like the Merced Theatre and almond blossoms.
Newly installed gateway monuments along Highway 99 greet motorists, offering a colorful and cultural welcome to Merced. The monuments are part of a broader beautification effort funded by a $1.2 million state grant.
Located along both the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway, the roughly 24-foot-wide by 17-foot-tall monuments feature the iconic Merced Theatre tower as well as almond blossoms. The base of the monuments feature decorative tile arranged in a herringbone pattern.
City of Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto praised the final outcome of the two monuments.
“I think they look great,” Serratto said. “I think the project really turned out well.”
Funding for the monuments came from a 2022 California Department of Transportation grantwhich, was part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $1.2 billion Clean California Initiative, to improve the state’s public spaces.
City spokesperson Jennifer Flachman said about $850,000 of the grant supported the construction of the monuments as well as the addition of new welcome signs located on Highway 140 and Highway 59. In addition, $350,000 of the grant funds have been used on murals located on state highway structures throughout the city.
When the grant was awarded to the city in 2022, Serratto emphasized the project’s intention to enhance community unity by linking culturally significant artwork in the downtown area with existing murals in the southern part of the city.
Construction on the monument located near the West 16th Street off-ramp from southbound Highway 99 was delayed because of an active hawk nest within a protected 600-foot buffer zone.
Serratto said discussions around adding welcome signs to the city began about a decade ago, and he was pleased to see the long-discussed idea realized. He highlighted the use of the Merced Theatre tower on both the monuments and welcome signs as a meaningful emblem of the city’s identity.
“I think it’s kind of our iconic downtown building,” Serratto said. “It’s a very recognizable symbol of our city.”
Beyond the aesthetics, Serratto expressed hope that the monuments will serve as source of community pride as it’s important of the community to embrace the city.
“It takes all of us stepping up, all of us playing our part,” he said. “Everybody can do things to appreciate our town, to take pride in it and beautify it. That’s the goal. All of us loving this space and loving our city and doing something to contribute to it—that’s what’s going to make it kind of special.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 10:54 AM.