The Pike/Russell Street underpass in Covington is in the midst of an aesthetic transformation.
The current sunbaked, peeling pink paint is now gray and blue as part of a beautification project by Renaissance Covington and the City of Covington. Paint crews have been hard at work to restore the bridge’s outward appearance.
The new paint job features two different shades of gray, with a contrasting blue accent.
The underpass hasn’t been painted since the early 2000s, said Nick Wade, executive director of Renaissance Covington.
“We were kind of thinking through some transformative projects we have in the community, and this was a no-brainer option for us,” Wade said.
The City of Covington paid for the project.
“This seems like a prime opportunity since we had some seed money from the city to take initiative and start working on one of them,” Wade said.
In urban spaces, public infrastructure such as walls, sidewalks, bridges and underpasses can provide a unique canvas for painting. Once the underpass is fully painted, Renaissance Covington has more plans to continue beautifying the historic bridge into the future.
“Hopefully one day, we’ll be able to put a mural on the underpass,” Wade said.
Wade said that project will require additional funding, and while they haven’t received it yet, Renaissance Covington will continue to search by applying for grants.
Renaissance Covington’s mission statement is to amplify the vibrancy of downtown Covington and to show the city’s bold entrepreneurial spirit, diversity, history, and creative culture.