Calaveras County, Caltrans unveil Clean California-funded gateway monuments

Calaveras County officials and Caltrans officials on Friday marked the completion of a gateway-monument and signage project funded by a $1.2 million Clean California grant that installed decorative signs and monuments across seven Calaveras County communities, county and state leaders said.

The project, delivered in partnership with Caltrans and local contractors, aims to improve wayfinding, reflect local history and boost tourism. Grace McSio, Caltrans assistant director, said the effort was part of the Clean California Statewide Program, which Caltrans has used since 2021 to remove litter and fund beautification projects along state highways.

"Safety is our number one priority," Grace McSio, Caltrans assistant director, said at the ceremony, urging motorists to watch for construction and maintenance workers along roadside corridors. McSio said Caltrans has removed nearly 2,000,000 cubic yards of litter from state highways since the program launched and that the Clean California program has helped create more than 4,000 jobs; she added that about 30 workers from her district who began on the program were later transitioned into permanent positions.

Supervisor Tom Hennelly, speaking for the Board of Supervisors, thanked Caltrans and local contractors and said the county has received only positive comments from residents about the monuments. "If you see it here, it's a wonderful project," Hennelly said, noting the county's preference to award construction work to local firms.

Steve Williams, interim city administrator for Angels Camp, said the signs and monuments create a "visual thread" tying communities together and help visitors find local destinations. "This project is more than just aesthetics. It is about connection," Williams said.

County project staff and speakers credited broad local involvement. Kelly (county staff), who led public outreach for the project, said designers received more than 1,000 survey responses as the county narrowed monument designs. The county and event speakers also thanked contractors and local firms identified during remarks, including Sutton Enterprises (construction of monument bases and rock walls), AFAB Creations (steel fabrication), GLOFAB (Amanda Hernandez), and stucco artisan Scott Greer, as well as business and historic organizations such as the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce, Murphys Business Association, Greater Arnold Business Association, Valley Springs Area Business Association, San Andreas Merchants Association, Copperopolis Area Business Association and the Mokelumne Hill Historical Society.

Speakers described the monuments as strategically placed, long-lasting installations intended to reflect community identity and improve navigation to historic and recreational sites. County remarks credited collaborative planning — including a template plan used from another California city to meet a tight application deadline — with enabling the county to secure the Clean California grant and complete the work.

No formal board action or vote was recorded in the transcript excerpts provided; the gathering was a celebratory ceremony and public acknowledgement of partners and contractors. County leaders said the signs are intended to help visitors stay longer and support local businesses, and that the monuments will be permanent fixtures along the state highway corridors through the seven participating communities.