Protester climbs onto equipment at controversial Willits project

Monday, June 24, 2013

This is day five for a protester who is perched 50-feet high on a piece of Caltrans equipment at the controversial Willits bypass project.

Five people were arrested Wednesday as protesters forced Caltrans to stop work on a controversial highway project.

Protesters shut down work on a controversial Caltrans project Wednesday.

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traffic, caltrans, highway 101, mendocino county, protest, assignment 7

WILLITS, Calif. (KGO) -- This is day five for a protester who is perched 50-feet high on a piece of Caltrans equipment in Mendocino County.

Last Thursday, protester Will Parrish climbed up on construction equipment at the controversial Willits freeway project. He's part of an environmental coalition trying to stop a bypass being built on wetlands.

Nearly 45 people tried to bring Parrish food and water on Saturday, but California Highway Patrol officers moved in.

Story: Protesters arrested for stopping work on Willits bypass

Story: Protesters shut down work on Willits bypass

Story: Caltrans to spend $210M on Willits bypass

link: Coalition of environmental groups suing Caltrans

link: Willits Bypass Project News

link: Willits Bypass - Reports and Presentations

link: Website Opposing Bypass

link: Caltrans Traffic Camera: Mendocino 101 about 1 mile north of Willits

link: Follow @abc7newsbayarea on Twitter

Four people were arrested and remain in jail. Parrish is still refusing to come down.

Caltrans wants to build a four-lane freeway around Willits, but critics say a smaller, cheaper road would do the job without so much environmental damage.

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Tags:

traffic, caltrans, highway 101, mendocino county, protest, assignment 7