How two phases of custom urethane murals — from tribal beadwork to wild horses — turned a critical Washington freeway into a permanent canvas for Spokane's story.
The Washington State Department of Transportation set out to do something uncommon: elevate a critical transportation corridor into a visual and cultural landmark. The North Spokane Corridor wasn't just a new freeway — it was an opportunity to tell Spokane's story in concrete.
The challenge was formidable. Large-scale, meaningful public art had to be integrated into retaining walls, overpasses, and barrier rails — all while meeting strict DOT schedules, long-term durability requirements, and WSDOT-approved texture standards.
The solution required custom urethane formliners, coast-to-coast dual-plant production, and deep collaboration with an artist, two general contractors, and WSDOT across two separate construction phases.
Spec Formliners provided custom urethane formliners and WSDOT-approved textures across both construction phases, each with its own design language and production approach.
A collaboration with artist Melissa Cole, Phase 1 brought regional natural elements to life in cast concrete — celebrating Spokane's landscape and Indigenous heritage through deeply detailed mural work.
Three major murals delivered across dual production plants in California and Missouri, meeting aggressive timelines while maintaining precise pattern continuity across all panel sections.
Custom mural artwork translated into precise CAD engineering for exact pattern reproduction at the scale and depth required for highway infrastructure.
Tooling photos used in place of concrete mock-ups — saving significant production time while keeping stakeholders informed and approvals on schedule.
Phase 2 murals manufactured simultaneously across Spec Formliners' California and Missouri plants — enabling the aggressive timeline required for both construction sites.
155mil multi-use plastic liners deployed for barrier rails above the Running Horses mural section — selected for durability and efficient reuse.
If you can include artwork in infrastructure, it's great. It's nice to beautify big slabs of concrete.
The corridor now serves as both infrastructure and public art — connecting daily commuters with Spokane's natural and cultural heritage through surfaces that are as durable as they are meaningful.
A critical freeway transformed into a corridor that reflects Spokane's history — from tribal beadwork motifs to industrial rail murals seen by thousands daily.
Meaningful public art embedded directly into essential infrastructure — no separate installation, no added maintenance, built to last as long as the concrete itself.
Tooling photo approvals and dual-plant production demonstrated Spec Formliners' ability to deliver complex, multi-site projects on aggressive DOT schedules.
Phase 2 production across California and Missouri plants proved Spec Formliners' capacity for simultaneous large-scale manufacturing without compromising quality or continuity.
Custom art mural formliners for WSDOT, Caltrans, and DOT projects nationwide. Any design. Any scale. Coast-to-coast production capability built for demanding infrastructure timelines.