SAN DIEGO.- Have you ever noticed that certain city communities have welcoming archways or signs which are lighted, surrounded by local night life, but others don't?

For years, Barrio Logan has been considered as a forbidden place in downtown San Diego, caught between the train tracks, the freeway and the Coronado bridge. In recent years, there has been a push to at least change the community's image, along with some new investments in infrastructure.

On Saturday, a very important step for its residents was accomplished, when an archway with the Barrio's name was officially unveiled, identifying them to rest of the region.

The archway's dedication is a symbol of "being proud from where you are from" said Barrio Logan native and artist Hector Villegas to U-T San Diego.

With 80 feet long and 42 in height, the archway has Mayan, Aztec and Kumeyaay motifs to represent the roots of the majority of the town's population.

There are also two pyramids alongside this sign, which "represent the encounter of two cultures", said Armando Nuñez, another artist who helped with the archway's design.

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"This is something that happens in this community on a daily basis".

Funding for the archway came from federal and state resources of the Port of San Diego, costing around $750,000 to $900,000 dollars, as part of a 1.7 million dollar project to rehabilitate the streets, landscaping and side walks of the community.

The archway, besides welcoming people will have other functions. It will serve as a barrier for loading trucks leaving the port area, that instead of following the obligatory truck route, go right through Barrio Logan, causing annoyance and street damage among the residents of the community for years.

Now, trucks will have no other choice than to respect the established route, avoiding Barrio Logan and helping a community progress.

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jose.sanchez@sandiegored.com

zyanya.figueroa@sandiegored.com