Community celebrates new Columbian Mammoth silhouettes in Hwy 99 in Merced County

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Caltrans and UC Merced hosted an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Highway 99 Plainsburg-Arboleda Mammoth Silhouette Project on Monday, July 15.

Drivers heading on Highway 99 will see several Columbian Mammoth silhouettes near the Le Grand and Plainsburg overpasses.

The mammals were installed in April , but the idea for the project started back in 2012. During the construction of the Plainsburg and Arbodela highway projects, crews found nearly 2,000 fossils, including the Giant Ground Sloth, the Western Camal, and more.

To honor that discovery, Caltrans decided to install the massive mammoths.

According to Grace Magsayo, the Interim Director for Caltrans District 10, Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a huge milestone.

“This is a really special event,” she said. “Our employees are all pretty excited about it because they have felt the feeling of driving down 99 and being pleasantly surprised by the view on the overpasses.”

The event featured several speakers, fossil discovery displays, and more.

One of those speakers was Courtney Richards, Principal Paleontologist with Bargas Consulting. She says she hopes the new silhouettes would help drivers appreciate the beauty of the unknown.

“I hope that the installations will spark the imagination of motorists as they pass by and that they take a moment to think about the ancient landscapes, the magnificent pre-historic creatures that once roamed this valley, and the yet-to-be-uncovered treasure trove of fossils that may be buried right beneath their feet,” Richards said.

The fossils discovered were donated to UC Merced for students and the public to enjoy, an honor the university’s chancellor says he doesn’t take lightly.

“Early in the construction of this highway project, UC Merced was contacted about fossils unearthed here, and we’re proud that they are now exhibited on campus,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said. “What a privilege, I think, to have this treasure.”

Those interested in seeing the fossils can swing by the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library at UC Merced.

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