Graffiti-battling drones take flight in WSDOT highway cleanup program

WASHINGTON — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a graffiti-battling drone?

Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) graffiti drone pilot program has taken off, literally.

The WSDOT maintenance crew in Tacoma is testing drone technology that can remove graffiti from hard-to-reach places. The drones could make quick work of painting over graffiti on tall retaining walls, bridges, and overpasses.

The drone, built from an Aquiline Endure model, uses a spray nozzle and is linked to a paint supply on the ground, WSDOT said.

"Right now, this is the one and only." Said Mike Gauger, Maintenance Operations Superintendent for WSDOT's Olympic Region as he showcased a new drone.

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WSDOT is learning how these drones operate, how they apply paint, and if they can cover graffiti. An operator on the ground can position the drone anywhere the tethered hose can reach.

“This pilot program won't end highway graffiti – it's a constant struggle for our crews and law enforcement to address – but it's another tool in our toolbox,” WSDOT said in a release.

Highway maintenance employees with Part 107 drone licenses are being trained to operate the drone. Crews will spend the rest of the year field-testing the prototype drone in the Tacoma and Olympia area.

"Each time we go up, the idea is to learn ‘Is this going to be an acceptable maintenance practice?'" Gauger said.

Legally, drones cannot be flown over active lanes of traffic, so areas being cleaned with drones will be in closed work zones or managed with rolling slowdown closures while the drones are in use.

As WSDOT field tests the drone, they expect to make further improvements to the system.

In 2023, maintenance crews spent over $815,000 on graffiti removal statewide, according to WSDOT.