Columbia County Commissioner Chris Young said he watched with disappointment as workers buried the abandoned strip of road in Centralia known as the Graffiti Highway last year.

“Only in Pennsylvania do we cover up a tourist attraction,” he said.

But now he’s hoping the colorful spectacle can be reborn - in Berwick.

At his request, Councilman Jay Jarrett floated the idea of opening a section of the roadway in Test Track Park to graffiti artists. At their June meeting, borough officials said they were interested.

“It’s a good idea,” said Councilwoman Jeri Alley.

Public works head Jack Kyttle said people regularly spray paint the Berwick-Nescopeck bridge piers and the wall on Canal Street.

“This would give them a canvas,” he said.

Rules

There would be some rules, Jarrett said. The graffiti would be limited to the straight stretch of road between the boat dock and the stage, where most of the booths for Riverfest are located.

No pornography or profanity would be allowed.

“But I think it’s a neat idea,” he said.

Borough Manager Damien Scoblink noted the park road is slated to be resurfaced in the near future. So if council members want to keep the artwork as a permanent feature, they’d have to do the repaving first.

But no one at council raised any objections.

The original Graffiti Highway bloomed on a section of Route 61 the state closed for fear it was being undermined by Centralia’s long-burning underground coal fire.

Tourists flocked to the site by the thousands. Some visited the highway as part of a trip to see the still-steaming remnants of Centralia. Others were drawn to the highway itself.

It also became a popular site for ATV and dirt bike riders.

But the ATVs and dirt bikes were speeding through roads in the borough and surrounding township near people’s homes. Visitors left empty cans and other litter behind. The graffiti spread to local cemeteries.

And so Pitreal Corporation, the private company that owns the abandoned highway, covered it with piles of dirt.

Bright hopes

Young said the county tried to reach out to the company to buy the property, but couldn’t get a call back.

Places across the country showcase their vibrantly painted walls and streets as graffiti parks, such as Graffiti Alley in Baltimore, Maryland, and the HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin, Texas.

He envisions a festival with music and food trucks on hand while artists paint the street in front of onlookers.

The county may be able to use some of the money it gets from the hotel tax to promote such an event, he said.

“And Berwick is one of the most open-minded communities we have, so I threw the idea out there,” he said.

Previous murals

Jarrett said the street art could be similar to previous community murals, such as in Euclid Alley downtown. He also pointed to a mural project in Sponsler’s Park, where an artist drew an outline of a design on a wall, then invited residents to help paint it.

He said he has already been in touch with Connie Donlin, who spearheaded the mural projects.

But what if a sanctioned graffiti area doesn’t have the same allure as the illicit painting of the Centralia site? What if the ATVs were part of the draw?

“I’m not a guy that ‘What ifs’ something to death,” Young said. “We’ll see what develops.”

Test Track Park is out of the way from major travel lanes, he noted.

And the Susquehanna nearby would make for a nice setting, he added.

“This could be a venue for artists,” he said. “It would help Berwick. And Columbia County would have its Graffiti Highway back.”