Not even a day passed last week before vandals started defacing the freshly painted undersides of the Nassau overpass. Now efforts are underway to keep the problem from growing and perhaps even channel the vandalism into creative graffiti.

The newly opened section of the Lewes-Georgetown Trail passes beneath the overpass. Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman C.R. McLeod said painting over years of accumulated graffiti beneath the overpass was part of the contract for construction of the new trail. He said that element of the contract cost DelDOT $100,000.

The paint job brightened the passage under the overpass considerably, making it cleaner, friendlier and less forbidding. At least temporarily, the painting effort removed the sense of urban blight the area had slowly but steadily acquired.

“We hope that more traffic on the trail will ultimately deter this vandalism,” said McLeod. “We’ve also informed state police so they are aware and can help keep an eye on the area. We’ve been contacted by members of the community who are equally upset about the graffiti defacing the fresh paint and would like to help us with graffiti-removal efforts which we greatly appreciate.”

Ray Quillen, an officer in Delaware’s Bicycle Council, and a steady supporter and frequent user of the new trail, was among those who reported the fresh vandalism. He said he and others plan to call 911 and alert state police if they come across vandals adding more graffiti to the overpass.

Quillen also contacted DelDOT’s Anthony Aglio, who is involved in Delaware’s trail system. In an email exchange with Quillen, Aglio suggested a creative approach to the problem along with public vigilance and activism. “It is sad that this happened so quickly after it was just repainted,” wrote Aglio. “We discussed some alternatives this afternoon. One great idea was to engage Cape HS and see if they have students who may have the interest and talent to paint a mural. In many cases, a ‘cool’ mural deters additional graffiti.”

Phase Two of the Lewes-Georgetown Trail is almost complete now with paving of the former railroad bed extending westward from Lewes to where the former railroad crossed Log Cabin Hill Road, just beyond Sweetbriar Road and Hopkins Dairy Farm.

It’s expected that Phase Three of the project will start in Georgetown and make its way eastward to eventually connect with the completed Phase Two. Phase Three of the project is more complicated than the first two phases because it involves placing a trail alongside what is still the active part of the railroad. The section of the railroad in the first two phases of the trail development was rendered useless because of structural issues with the railroad bridge over Lewes-Rehoboth Canal in Lewes. Because of that, engineers were able to design the new trail using the existing railroad bed and consequently saving significant costs. Contractors removed rails and ties from the bed, and then the paving began.

Once complete in the next several years, the Lewes-Georgetown Trail will extend from the county seat of Sussex all the way to and though Lewes to the entrance of Cape Henlopen State Park. At 17 miles, it will be Delaware’s longest single trail.