Snake Road follows the Carquinez Strait connecting Port Costa and Martinez, CA. During the Loma Prieta in 1989 a large portion of the road fell in to the strait and it was never repaired. As a result the road is closed to vehicles and is in a state of glorious disrepair.

What better to do with a large swath of pavement unreachable by law enforcement? Paint it! And that’s exactly what people do. There is hardly a square foot to be found that is not covered in some sort of painting or splash of color.

I’ve had some pretty cool commute routes in the last few years but this section of rutted, eroding, road-as-art-gallery has been by far the best. Alas, not all is well on the windy, winding road. The Easy Bay Regional Park district has in all their wisdom, deemed this road “unsafe.” Snake’s fate? To be paved over as a pedestrian/bike path. It is absolutely heartbreaking.

I’m not sure when construction will begin in earnest and I will no longer be able to ride this route. I decided that I better take some pictures while I have the chance. I also uploaded a video (sorry for the shakiness) that sort of illustrates how awesome it is to ride on this road. Contact me if you’d like the full size images. They were taken with a cell phone, so not that great.

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