Commuters pass under $171,000 worth of freeway art

Last month, the Temecula City Council announced that the metal art that now decorates the southern side of the Overland Drive Bridge, over Interstate 15, has been completed. The artwork has been praised for its beauty by some and criticized for its cost by others.

The artwork, made of various metals, depicts rolling hills with the silhouettes of clouds and hot air balloons. The center panel depicts the sun shining down on the word “Temecula.”

“[The artwork shows] Temecula’s a little bit different – that they care about the appearance of our community,” said Chris Tyler, a Temecula resident who...