Examples of graffiti in Zion National Park, Utah, dates not specified | Photo courtesy of Zion National Park, St. George News “It’s bad,” park spokesperson Amanda Rowland said. Officials started the fire in 1962 to clean up a trash dump, but the flames ignited a seam of coal that runs under the town. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Authorities chased away nearly 100 people on Monday alone, The fire began on May 27, 1962 when the city of Centralia was conducting their yearly controlled-burn of the local landfill before Memorial Day weekend. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced plans to tackle the ‘blight’ on graffiti on the road and rail networks. State troopers have been monitoring the Graffiti Highway more intensely by have struggled to keep up with the large swaths of visitors. Although it was disappointing to see that even some of the trees and plants had been spray painted. The Graffiti Highway became Centralia’s new public square, offering visitors a barrage of constantly evolving, often droll, visual novelty. On April 8th of this year, Fox News reported that Pennsylvania’s famed Graffiti Highway was being completely covered with truckloads of dirt. It has been deemed uninhabitable due to a widespread mine fire that has burned for almost 60 years, exposing the residents to deadly gases. Ever since Pennsylvania and its surrounding states have issued stay at home orders for residents amid the COVID-19 crisis on, the roadway attraction has seen an even greater influx of people. which allowed the fire to enter and rapidly spread through the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines beneath Centralia, Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID. The Daily Item reports the abandoned stretch of Route 61 is to be buried by its private owner, Pagnotti Enterprises. “It’s pretty cool, the story behind it’s cool,” Hannah Quinn, who came from Harrisburg to see the highway, told WNEP. Pennsylvania’s Graffiti Highway is buried…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Showers, cold front to sweep across rain-starved Bay Area, Pennsylvania’s Graffiti Highway is buried after sightseers won’t stay away. But the controlled landfill burn was not fully extinguished and it crept through an unsealed opening in the pit which allowed the fire to enter the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines beneath Centralia, Large, rowdy crowds have been gathering at the hot spot in recent weeks. Ignoring a mandatory stay-at-home order due to Corona virus (COVID-19), hundreds of people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland have all visited the … 'I think a few weeks ago, there was a fire there, people just starting fires,' said Vincent Guarna, president of the Fox Coal Company that was hired by Pagnotti Enterprises to cover the road. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. A dump truck with Fox Coal Company dumps a load of dirt onto of the Graffiti Highway outside of Centralia, PA, Monday, April 6, 2020, while working to cover up the tourist denotation. “I think a few weeks ago, there was a fire there, people just starting fires,” Guarna told WNEP. Tap to install our app. Graffiti Highway is a cultural landmark for many Pennsylvanians — a reminder of how beautiful things can arise from awful situations. Shots of Graffiti during the highways being covered in back-fill. ‘Graffiti Highway’ – Pennsylvania’s oddest tourist attraction is the latest casualty in the coronavirus pandemic. Read Full Story . The comments below have not been moderated. People from throughout central Pennsylvania walk on “Graffiti Highway” in Centralia on Wednesday. Share Shares Copy Link. 'Graffiti Highway' Is Being Buried Colorful stretch of abandoned road was attracting too many trespassers By Rob Quinn , Newser Staff The.74- mile long abandoned stretch of … 'Oh my God, it’s crazy. According to the website Skook News, Pagnotti Enterprises, the owner of the highway and adjacent land, was having it … CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. CNN was not able to reach Pagnotti Enterprises for comment. High school student Emily Hessling of Easton, Pennsylvania spray paints her name on the abandoned portion of Route 61, commonly known as the 'Graffiti Highway.' Ignoring a mandatory stay-at-home order due to Corona virus (COVID-19), hundreds of people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland … Graffiti Highway owners to cover Centralia road with dirt. Mr Shapps has written to the rail industry, calling for a long-term plan to tackle the issue. Anthony Procopio, Ho Bott News “I guess they said it’s an abandoned town and stuff, kind of like spooky.”. The road is being covered over with dirt following complaints about large numbers of people congregating at the outdoor site amid the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, A resident from nearby the Graffiti Highway laments the permanent closure of the local attraction, Centralia Pennsylvania is a virtual ghost town that has been wiped from most maps. In 1993, Route 61 south of Centralia was officially closed after the side effects of the underground mine fire began to warp and break the roadway. Tom Wolf to save what has … We had an opportunity to visit the graffiti highway in 2019. The owners of Graffiti Highway closed the site earlier this month, covering it with between 8,000 and 10,000 tons of dirt, The (Sunbury) Daily Item reported. The episode in question was posted on November 4, 2010. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. Get latest News Information, Articles on Graffiti Highway Updated on April 08, 2020 17:26 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Graffiti Highway at Latestly.com WGAL News 8 coronavirus updates. The owners were recently left with no recourse but to cover the spontaneous public art piece as it posed a significant health threat and potential spreading-ground for the deadly virus. Centralia had a segment entitled "City on Fire" on the Travel Channel television series America Declassified which aired in 2013. Plan your road trip with Roadtrippers. The former Garden Sheds Galore and Paradise Gardens Nursery Cafe site, at 133-143 Burwood Highway, has been vacant for years, with the buildings now covered in graffiti … In 1993, Route 61 south of Centralia was officially closed after the side effects of the underground mine fire began to warp and break the roadway. ', A before and after picture taken in 1983 (left) and 2000 (right) shows the drastic changes done to Centralia's main street, Locust Avenue that was reclaimed by the government through imminent domain after an underground coal fire has been raging throughout the town since an accident in 1962, Pictured above are the few remaining hold-outs who refused government offers of compensation in the ghost town of Centralia that has been plagued by an underground fire that releases smoke, fumes and toxic gases into the air. People just starting fires, ” Guarna told WNEP there, people just starting fires ”! 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