The California Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to rename the Waldo Tunnel after late comedian Robin Williams.



The Waldo Tunnel is a tunnel on U.S. 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito in Marin County. William Waldo was a California politician who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1853. The tunnel’s archways are painted in rainbow colors, which is why people sometimes call it the "rainbow tunnel."

Williams was a long time resident of Marin. The idea to rename the tunnel started with an online petition that received more than 60,000 signatures.

Julie Wainwright, who started the petition, explained the reason behind it through a brief message on Change.org: "To remember and honor the very important citizen and world renowned entertainer, Robin Williams, for the joy he brought to the world and to bring awareness to the silent illness that eventually took his life."

The tunnel is reportedly featured in the Clint Eastwood film “Dirty Harry,” the Humphrey Bogart film “Dark Passage” and also plays a part in Williams’ 1999 film “Bicentennial Man.”

Williams died at his Tiburon home last August at age 63, His death shocked family, friends and fans across the Bay Area and the world, drawing an outpouring of grief and tributes.

Change.org

Riya Bhattacharjee contributed to this report.