Q: I’m an SJSU urban planning master’s student researching the impacts of freeway construction.
In Scott Herhold’s October 16, 2013, column on Joe Colla and the “Freeway to Nowhere,” he wrote about a photo of Joe Colla on the unfinished freeway. I’ve been searching the Merc archives, hoping to find the image, and so far, have not found it.
Bennett Williamson, San Jose
A: The photograph ran several days after the story first ran. I’m sure that most people don’t recall this great story. Joe Colla was a San Jose city councilman who railed about the then-unfinished overpass at Highway 101 and Interstate 680 in San Jose. In an amazing stunt, a car was lifted by crane onto the end of the overpass which, at that point, ended abruptly. Colla, who had a fear of heights, joined the car there.
The following letter and my reply ran in the Feb. 24, 2010 Roadshow column. Read on. (And not to spoil the story, but obviously, the interchange stunt won).
Q: Thank you for the article about Joe Colla and the role he played in getting the unfinished overpass at Highway 101 and Interstates 280 and 680 completed.
My late father, Michael Kraynick, was the head of the local crane operator union at the time (Operating Engineer, Local 3). He was the one who organized and arranged everything to do with the crane and car. True, it was at the request of his good friend, Joe Colla, but it was my father who made this stunt happen. He and his fellow union members worked through the night and took the real risks in this adventure.
No debate from me that Mr. Colla then went forward after this stunt to rally against Gov. Jerry Brown and Sacramento, as you reported.
Ted Kraynick
A: I received emails and calls about what really happened when a Chevy was hoisted onto the unfinished overpass and Colla’s photo taken standing next to the car. Read Scott Herhold’s article, and see the photo, here.
The caper brought national attention to California’s highway problems and put pressure on Caltrans director Adriana Gianturco and then-Gov. Brown to complete the unfinished project.
Colla boarded a helicopter at Spartan Stadium for the ride to the top of the unfinished interchange. The councilman, who suffered from a fear of heights, was given several brandy-laced coffees before the lift.
When the photo of Colla ran in dozens of newspapers, the impact was almost instantaneous. An irritated Brown called operating engineers union leader Dale Marr and said, “I know you guys put that car up there. I want it off.”
When it was done, the Legislature approved a new name for the area, the Joe Colla interchange.
Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at [email protected].
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