Issaquah girl’s artwork wins contest, will be on billboard in June

Eleven-year-old Signe Stroming from Issaquah was one of two winners in the Fourth Annual Bridging Futures Art and Essay Contest. Her work will be seen on a billboard this June.

Eleven-year-old Signe Stroming from Issaquah was one of two winners in the Fourth Annual Bridging Futures Art and Essay Contest.

Her work will be seen on a billboard this June.

The second winner was 11-year-old Vinny Napolitano of Selah, officials announced this week.

The event is put on by WSDOT, the Wildlife Bridges Coalition and representatives from U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Washington State Sen. Curtis King.

More than 200 kids participated in the contest, which had youngsters draw their ideas for safe animal crossings for the mountains as well as an essay on their idea.

“There is an educational aspect to it,” WSDOT I-90 project Director Brian White said.

The winners billboards will be on display during the month of June near I-90 in Ellensburg and on Dearborn Street in Seattle.

“It’s pretty interesting what they come up with,” White said.

The idea behind the contest is to bring awareness to the numerous projects that are going on on I-90. In addition to coming up with ideas to make travel around the pass easier for animals, the plan is also to make it easier for humans with expanded roads, improving the slopes and working on the snow shed.

“It’s lifespan is falling apart,” White said.

In the summer months about 58,000 people travel across I-90 each weekend, according to the DOT.