In my dreams, I imagine a sky filled with drones descending upon Interstate 5 (I-5) with their paint nozzles ready, as the sound of “Flight of the Valkyries” fills my head. This vision, inspired by watching “Apocalypse Now” too many times, is what I envision for the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) pilot program aimed at combating graffiti, particularly on bridges and overpasses.
Despite spending $815,000 on graffiti removal in 2023 and dedicating more than 10,000 hours to painting over 700,000 square feet of graffiti, the agency reported that new graffiti would sometimes appear just days or hours after an area was cleaned.
The solution to this problem may lie in the use of drones. The Washington legislature passed House Bill 1989 in 2024, providing WSDOT with $1 million to research traffic camera technology for monitoring graffiti removal. A report on the findings of the program will be submitted to the legislature in December for further evaluation.
Meanwhile, WSDOT has been testing a new drone built from an Aquiline Endure model that uses a spray nozzle connected to a paint supply on the ground. Operators can position the drone anywhere the tethered hose can reach, allowing for quick removal of graffiti on tall structures like retaining walls, bridges, and overpasses. While the first drone failed during initial testing, the newest drone is now operational and being tested under licensed drone operators in Olympia and Tacoma under Pierce County regional maintenance division.
