A fun story out of Los Angeles about a local artist, Richard Ankrom, who took matters into his own hands and altered the freeway signage on the 110 freeway with a handmade replica of an Interstate 5 North sign that was so good that Caltrans left the sign untouched for years.

Craig Stephens from LA Weekly explains:

Ankrom had designed and surreptitiously installed the green Caltrans-perfect sign because one day while en route to his home at the Brewery Arts Colony, he spotted a distinct absence of signage denoting the best route to reach the I-5 North. So Ankrom opted to exercise guerrilla art with a purpose — easing traffic congestion on the 110 freeway.

The artist created an exact replica of a regulation Caltrans sign. He tailored a detailed red, white and blue “5 shield” and green “North” sign out of 0.08 millimeter–thick metal, resplendent with special-ordered button reflectors.

He says the sign was part of an art project titled “Guerrilla Public Service.” Ankrom also did it for a laugh at Caltrans’ expense. Who wouldn’t like to fool the state now and then?

The sign was so authentic that Caltrans officials let it remain in place for eight years, four months and 15 days, until its removal last month under a standard scheduled replacement. Ankrom had signed and dated the sign, for future identification and possible retrieval. But to his dismay, the precaution did not pay off. Indeed, Ankrom never had a chance to reclaim his artwork.

The Before and After:

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